Queen Of Azarath
by AlwaysInAFieldOfInnocence
Summary: In life, people take many things for granted. Our possesions, and even our loved ones. One chaneling believes he has someone special in his life, but when that person departs, there is a void in his life. He will stop at nothing to see her once again.
1. Breaking A Dawn

He had tossed and turned for the past hour. His clock read 6:00 a.m., which was too early due to his usual time around noon. The changeling had woken up suddenly with no reason. _Damn, why did I wake up this early? The sun is barely coming up and I'm wide awake_ he thought to himself.

He lay on his back just staring at the ceiling, hoping that sleep would consume him.

_Just keep waiting, just keep waiting, just keep waiting, waiting, waiting. What do we do? We wait _he sung to himself. Nothing.

The changeling had finally given up going back to sleep, and decided to get ready for the day. He got up from his bed and walked toward his closet. He opened the closet and it revealed his many uniforms for battle.

_Hmm what to chose? What to choose? _He jokingly thought. He grabbed the cleanest uniform and began to dress himself. Once he was done, he decided to venture to the common room. He left his bedroom without a care of his daily hygiene. The green changeling assumed he would do that after he ate breakfast.

Once he had entered the common room, he knew something was different. The sun was barely up and no one was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. On a positive note, Vic wasn't there to bring the meat vs. tofu debate they usually had every morning. The changeling was content that he had the common room to himself and no one was around. Until he heard the sound of breathing near the couch.

_So much for being alone_ he thought to himself and went to investigate who it was. He was surprised to find his teammate Raven lying peacefully on the couch. She was laying on her side with a book barely touching her right hand.

_Wow, she looks so tranquil. I'd better not wake her up _the green super hero thought.He turned around to leave the room, but fell to the ground. He groaned in pain and embarrassment. He rotated his head to see a happy Silkie on the ground by his feet. Silkie was the cause of his fall and he was thankful that it wasn't air.

The changeling heard movement from the couch and assumed that she had woken up from his collapse. He had gotten up and carefully moved around Silkie to see if his assumption was correct. The once sleeping empath, was sitting up rubbing her eyes. Once she had gotten rid of the sleep in her eyes, she turned to find the cause of the sound. Of course, it was the one and only Garfield Logan to cause that kind of sound. But she said nothing of that.

Embarrassed, he said, "Good Morning?" She nodded her head and replied, "Morning."

Raven then looked over to see that the sun was barely up.

"Crap, I must have fallen asleep in the middle of the night." She said and then she realized something. It was not the afternoon and Beast Boy was wide awake.

"What are you doing up so early?" she asked, "Usually you are up at the crack of noon."

"Yeah I know. I just woke up for no reason and I couldn't get back to sleep. So I figured I would get ready and I could take a cat nap later on today." He said

"Makes sense." She said, "Since you are up, could you put my tea kettle on the stove and fill it up with water for my morning tea please?"

"Sure, Rae." He responded and he had ascended to the kitchen. Raven was not in the mood to point out the nickname he just called her.

After the adventure to Tokyo, Raven and Beast Boy had become closer friends. Robin and Starfire were usually out on their dates and Cyborg would be either in the garage or at Titans East. So, it was the changeling and the empath in the tower. Somehow they had agreed to be nicer and they would not kill each other.

Minutes had passed and Raven's water was almost to its boiling point. She had gotten up to retrieve the contents of her tea. Garfield had gotten his tofu ready and was cooking it next to her tea kettle.

"Why were you up late last night?" he asked breaking the silence.

"I had a nightmare last night and I couldn't fall asleep. So I picked up my novel that I am reading now and I went to the common room. I must have fallen asleep while reading." She answered.

"I see." He said and he had finished cooking his tofu. Her tea had finished and she sat at the table with her cup. He sat across the table from her.

"So, what was your nightmare about?' he asked.

"I don't think it's that important to know. It was nothing." She answered

"You sure? You seem kind of pale today." He said

"Garfield, I'm like that every day if you haven't noticed." He responded and sipped her tea. "And by the way, did you brush your teeth this morning? Your breath reeks."

"No, I didn't. And you just woke up too. You haven't brushed your teeth too!" he defended himself.

"Yeah, but my breath doesn't smell like tofu and some other shit." She responded.

"What was that? Did I hear little Miss Raven swear?" he said, "I believe I may be rubbing off of you."

"Whatever, if you really want to hear me swear, you would tell me one of your lame jokes. But I do not recommend it. We are having a somewhat pleasant morning." She said.

"What makes it somewhat?" he asked.

"Your 'stanky' breath" she stated.

"Now I think Vic is rubbing off on you too." He pointed out. She raised one eyebrow and shook it off. Two hours passed as the two early birds began to engage in conversation. The conversation included gossip about the team and villains and some random subjects. The two hours contained happy moments where Raven would smile and even sometimes, giggle. This had made the changeling happy inside since she was able to show emotion.

"Listen, we had a good conversation, but I'm getting sick of smelling your breath and I need to get ready and brush my own teeth." She said and she stood up to leave the common room.

"All right, but I'm kinda getting sick of your stanky breath too. So I'll just stay here and have Vic smell it." He said

"Don't torture the poor man." She claimed and she left the common room. After she had left, his smile had faded away and he had tried to finish his breakfast. Suddenly, Cyborg appeared from the sliding door.

"Hey man! First: What are you doing up so early? And Second: Don't talk within 10 feet of me from your stanky breath." Vic shouted.

The changeling had sighed and said, "Rae told you huh?" The half-robot had nodded.

"So did you talk to her?" Cyborg asked. Beast Boy had nodded.

"Did anything happen?" Vic asked.

"No, we talked for two hours but nothing happened." He confessed.

"You didn't ask her out yet?" Vic asked.

Shamefully he answered, "No."

"Man, you have been wanting to ask her out for almost a year. Just get your big boy pants up, and your green ass movin' and ask her." Cyborg stated.

"I have it planned." Beast Boy said. "You know what tomorrow is?"

"Friday. . . . wait are you trying to change the subject? 'Cus it's not gonna work on me little man." Cyborg shouted.

"Tomorrow is Raven's 18th birthday. I was planning on asking her out tomorrow." Garfield said.

"You better keep that promise up grass stain," Cyborg said, "If not, I'm tellin' her your dirty little secret."

"You wouldn't" Garfield said.

"Trust me, I would." Cyborg said.

"Conniving tin man." He said.

"Stay away from the big words Gar, and stick with tin man stuff." Cyborg claimed, "And please man, brush your teeth for the love of God."


	2. Visitors

The empath had finally gotten done with her morning routine. She had taken a shower, combed her hair, and brushed her teeth. She put on her habitual uniform and ascended to the common room. When she had reached the common room, she was not surprised to find all of her roommates awake. Robin was on the computer, Starfire was making her disgusting breakfast, and Cyborg and Beast Boy were playing a racing game.

"Morning friend Raven!" Starfire welcomed.

"Morning Kori. Cheerful as ever this morning." Raven replied in her monotone voice

"Of most certain. I am always lively in the morning." The alien princess said, "are you excited for the celebration of your birth tomorrow?"

"I guess." Raven said unenthusiastically.

"Wonderful friend Raven! We must prepare for the celebration" she ran over and hugged her tight friend.

_Joy_ Raven thought.

"Hey, we can at least celebrate this year." Robin said. "Two years ago you were destined to destroy the world and last year you were put into a coma for a week from Adonis."

"And I kicked his ass afterwards for that." Raven said and she went to the refrigerator to grab an apple. However, in the back of the empath's mind, she was fearful that something would happen on her birthday. Her thoughts were soon answered.

Suddenly, in the front of the common room, part of the atmosphere was moving unusually. The Titans noticed the mysterious happening and watched in awe. Cyborg had shut off the game, Beast Boy dropped his controller, Robin stood up in a fighting stance, and Starfire dropped her bowl full of her potentially harmful food. Raven stood in confusion.

The mysterious atmospheric event soon turned into a vortex and the Titans were even more curious. Suddenly, two men in cloaks fell from the vortex and onto the front of the common room. The Titans stepped back and were in a guarding position. Starfire's eyes were glowing green, and Garfield had turned into a green tiger. Robin and Cyborg mirrored the same pose. Raven was in the back levitating, waiting for the two men to attack.

The two men stood up groaning from their fall. They both were of the same height and had the same muscle structure. However, one of the men had jet-black hair while the other had brown hair. The jet-black haired man had a goatee on his face. A distinct similarity was that they had the same white outfit. The men wore a white long sleeve shirt, white spandex pants, white shoes and white cloaks that had a hood. The Titans were prepared to attack. All but one.

"This best be the right dimension this time, because you better pray to Azar I don't strangle you." The jet black-haired guy said.

"Drastic much? I only made a few mistakes." The brown haired man said.

"A few mistakes that could have cost me my hair. You know how long it took for me to do it this morning." The jet black-haired man replied. "Well I hope you have the right dimension."

The two men looked over to see a band of super heros ready to attack. They looked for moments and asked,

"Is this the dimension of the half-demon?" the brown haired man asked.

"Dude, what are you talking about?" the changeling asked.

Before the mysterious men could answer, Raven walked around the positioned Titans to reveal herself to the mysterious men. She cleared her throat and brought attend to the men and her friends.

"Claudius, Dominic." The empath stated. "What are you two doing here?" She turned toward her friends, "You can put your guard down. I know them."

The Titans complied and began to relax. The two mysterious men (now identified as Claudius and Dominic) were happy to see Raven.

"Ha! Told you Dominic! I have the right dimension so you won't need to worry about your hair." said the brown haired Claudius.

"Seriously guys, what are you doing here? I haven't seen you guys in four years and you drop by to say hi? I don't think so, this must be important Azarthian business." Raven spoke.

"Oh yes. We have very important news that needs to be addressed and enforced." Dominic said. The two Azararthian men bent down to one knee and bowed their heads.

"Raven, daughter of Trigon the Terrible, and daughter of Arella vi Azarath, we have come to return you to Azarath to serve as the Azarathian queen." Claudius said.

Raven was stunned and the Titans were flabbergasted.

"Why? Why me?" she asked.

"After the passing of mother Azar-may she rest in peace- we have been without a queen to assist the monks. Mother Azar had no children and had only one student. That student is you." Dominic claimed.

"Okay? So why now? Mother Azar has been gone for five years." The empath asked.

"We have thought that we may have no need for a queen, but we were wrong. When the monks would make their decisions, they are at a deadlock and they cannot decide. Tomorrow you will have reached the age of 18 and it will be age appropriate to reign Azarath." Claudius explained.

"Don't the people of Azarath hate me anyway? You still realize that I am half-demon. My childhood wasn't the best when they played a role." Raven said.

"Yes, they do understand, but you freed us from Trigon's reign after he destroyed Azarath when you defeated him. The people do thank you and do not wish you harm." Dominic explained.

Raven went through it in her mind. She thought about how homesick she was of Azarath, but she thought of her friends and the city. Moments passed bringing only silence.

"What else are your orders?" She asked.

"That we must return you to Azarath. Even by force."Claudius explained.

Raven looked at the ground and then at her friends. She could see that they did not want her to go. She closed her eyes and thought. Again, moments passed in silence. Suddenly, she sighed.

"I will go with you." She sadly said. The Titans were greatly disappointed, whereas the Azarathian men were joyful.

"On one condition." She stated and the two men became silent.

"Yes milady." Dominic answered.

"Give me my last 24 hours on earth please." She asked. The two men looked at each other and agreed.

"As you wish." They said together. "We will return at that same time tomorrow." Then the two men opened a new portal to their returning destination. "Goodbye until tomorrow" Dominic and they both waved goodbye. Then they disappeared.

Raven only stood where she was. The Titans just stared at her. Breaking the silence, Raven said, "I wish to be alone for a while. Please, no one disturb me." She then disappeared into her own vortex.


	3. Silence and The Necklace

Silence. That was the only sound in the tower. The four Titans sat in silence in the common room. All four of them sat on the couch together. Neither of them would make eye contact. There was only one question going through each of their minds. _Why_ they all asked to themselves. Suddenly, the silence was broken.

"I can't believe that Raven is leaving." Robin said. The other Titans nodded.

"Why does this seem like a horrible dream?" Beast Boy asked.

"Well BB, this ain't no dream." Cyborg said, "this is what's happening. She's leaving for Azarath."

"Why does she have to leave so soon? The tower will be very much different after her departure. Who will be there when I need to have our girl talk? Who's the one to keep Robin sane? Or help Vic with his car? Or even make sarcastic comments to friend Garfield?"

"I don't know Kori," Cyborg said, "I don't know."

Yet again, the room was filled in silence. Until the sliding doors revealed Raven. The Titans all turned their attention to the empath. Her eyes were puffy and red. They were watery from crying. She was sniffling and her nose had a hint of a rose color.

"Raven, have you been crying?" Beast Boy asked.

"No shit Sherlock." She said through her teeth. She then realized that her remark was cruel due to the situation. "I'm sorry. I'm just stressed about the whole event. And yes, I was crying."

"Can I ask a question though?" the changeling asked.

"Shoot." She said.

"How come you just didn't refuse to go? You were crying because you don't want to leave right? Why did you just tell them no?" he asked.

"I said yes because they would have taken me by force." She said

"You could have taken them down easily, and if you had trouble we would be here." He said.

"You don't understand. I grew up with Dominic and Claudius. They were very powerful in the past and imagine how strong they are now. Ironically, Azarathians are highly trained to take down demons. They could not defeat Trigon, but they came really close. They could have taken me down quite hard and I want to get on their good side." She explained.

"Oh" Garfield said.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Cyborg asked.

"I guess enjoy my last day in this dimension with you guys." She said. They agreed with her.

The day consisted of the activities that Raven would like. The Titans went to their favorite pizza place and they order her favorite pizza. After that, they journeyed to the park, and then to the mall. It was dark out and the Titans had decided to visit Raven's favorite poetry café. It was late and the Titans were calling it a day. Once they had reached the tower, all the Titans had returned to their rooms. However, two Titans could not go sleep. It was 1:00 a.m. and Raven lay on her bed thinking about this morning's events. She suddenly heard a faint knock at the door.

"Coming" she said and walked over to the door. She opened the door and was not surprised to find Garfield on the other side of the door. "What's up?" she asked.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Sure, just don't mind my messy hair."She said and opened the door completely open to invite him in.

"I don't mind. Don't worry, my teeth are minty fresh." He said and entered her room.

"Okay, what's with the late night visit?" she asked.

"Well, I figured that it was your birthday and all. I wanted to be the first one to wish you a happy birthday." He said.

"That was very kind of you, but really? Late at night?" she asked.

"I couldn't sleep, and I wanted to give you your gift early." He said and pulled out a small black box. He handed it over to the empath. She looked at the box questionably, but did not ask. Raven opened the box to reveal a necklace. It was a silver necklace with a silver raven as a pendant. The raven was flying and it had an amethyst jewel in its claws. Raven was surprised that he had chosen such a gift for her.

"Thank you. It's beautiful." She said looking into his eyes.

"You're welcome Rae, and happy birthday." He grinned.

Suddenly a pair of arms were around him. He was caught off guard that Raven was hugging him.

"Thanks Garfield. You made my birthday special to help me forget all that is happening. Thanks for being such a good friend." She said.

"You're welcome." He said. He was a bit disappointed. She only wanted to be friends. He wanted something more, but he knew that could not happen. She was leaving tomorrow and she would never be returning. This would have been a perfect time. Raven had let go of him and Garfield had become empty.

"Is there anything you need?" he asked.

She shook her head and said, "I'll be fine. I'd better get to bed, and you too."

"Yeah, I should." He said, "So I'm gonna be leaving now."

"Okay." She said and watched him leave her bedroom.

"Goodnight" he said.

"Goodnight." She replied and he left the room. Once the door shut, tears began to fall down her cheek.


	4. Not So Happy Birthday

Raven's 18th Birthday. There were no balloons hanging from strings. Confetti was not strewed everywhere. The music had faded away, being engulfed by silence. The absence of celebration was in the air. There was no reason to be celebrating. Even though the world was not destined to end, friendship would be broken.

It was almost that time. All the Titans were in the common room. They all sat in the couch in silence. Raven was unable to sleep that night. She had too much on her mind. Beast Boy could not sleep, as well.

As expected, a vortex appeared in the common room. Dominic and Claudius emerged from the portal.

"Time to go, milady." Dominic said and bowed.

Raven stood up. "All right, just give me a few moments." She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. She turned around to face the other standing Titans. She turned her attention to Robin. Raven hugged him for a brief moment.

"Don't go insane while I'm gone. Slade's not going anywhere." She said. Robin just laughed; trying not to cry. Then, Raven turned to her best friend. Starfire already had shown signs that she was crying.

"It will be okay Starfire. You can deal with three other guys in the tower." Raven said, "Bumblebee can have girl talk like we used to." Starfire then broke out in a cry and squeezed the half-demon. Raven could barely breathe. She was about to turn blue, until the alien let her go.

Going in order, she face Cyborg. To her, he was like an older brother.

"Now, who's gonna make fun of BB when you're gone?" the half-robot asked.

"You will just have to double it every day for me." She said and Cyborg had picked her up in a hug.

"Careful Vic," she said, "Kori's hugs always make me sore for days." Cyborg laughed and placed her back on the ground.

Lastly, the green changeling was left for goodbyes. They both made eye contact and he looked away for a brief second. When he looked back, she was smiling at him. _Why is she smiling at me_ he thought. Raven hugged him and it lasted for moments. In those moments, he hugged back and took in her scent for the last time. Out of all the smells in the world, she had the best scent that he could not compare to anything in this world.

A single tear fell down her cheek and she pulled away. Raven had turned her back to face him.

"Make sure that you don't kill them with your lame jokes." She said but he could not laugh.

She faced Claudius and Dominic as she tried to hold back tears that wanted to explode from her eyes.

"Let's go." She whispered. The men bowed and moved over so she could enter the portal first. Raven took one step in the portal. Before taking another step, she faced her friends one last time.

"Take care." She said, and entered completely in the portal. Claudius followed after her and Dominic was after him.

"Dominic." The changeling said and Dominic turned his attention to the green man.

"Please take care of her." He said. Dominic nodded and said, "I promise, she will be in good hands." Then he was engulfed into the portal. The vortex was gone, leaving only four Titans.

Starfire began to break down once again, and Robin and Cyborg were trying to comfort her. It was quite hard since they wanted to do the same thing. Beast Boy had left the room in hast. He ran to his room and fell on his bed. Something rare had happened. Garfield Logan was crying. He rarely cried, but he cried as much as he did when his parents had died. He though he would never see her again.

Morning had turned into night, and he had not left his room. He lay on his bed just staring at the ceiling remembering the good times he had with Raven. Lost in his thoughts, his stomach announced his hunger. He got up and headed toward the kitchen. He was surprised that the other Titans hadn't come to get him. When he entered the common room, no one was there. Beast Boy looked at the clock and realized that it was 2:00 a.m.

He walked over to the refrigerator and he grabbed some leftover tofu. The changeling ate in silence in the dark alone. He desperately wished that the portal would reopen and Raven would appear. But, it did not happen.

After he finished his food, he went to the hallway to his room. However, he stopped. Beast Boy had stopped in front of Raven's room. He stared at the door for what seemed like an hour. Then, he turned into a fly and flew under the door. Once he had entered the room, and morphed into his former self.

Looking around, everything was bare. The only things that remained were empty selves, dark curtains, and her bed. Her scent filled the room as well. He took a deep breath inhaling her scent. Following the scent, he walked toward her bed and lay on it. Again, he inhaled extremely and exhaled in pleasure. He closed his eyes and he thought of her. He missed her laugh. He missed her smile. He just missed _her_.

Beast Boy morphed into a dog and curled up in her bed. He closed his eyes wishing she was there next to him. With those thoughts in his head, he was finally taken over by slumber.


	5. Troubled Changeling

Three Years Later . . .

His alarm clock read 10:00 a.m. He had only gotten four hours of sleep. In this point of time, it was normal for him to get that much sleep. He decided that it was time to get up since he assumed his team members were awake around that time. He groaned and got ready for the day.

Changeling, formally known as Beast Boy, had done his normal routine. Over the years, he had changed physically and mentally. He had the body of man, rather than a boy. Emotionally, he had the mind of a depressed man. Ever since Raven had left the Titans, he would keep to himself and do things on his own. He would join the others in group activities, but not for long. The others attempted to take him to a therapist, but he refused. On very rare occasions, he would tell a joke, laugh, or refer to his immature self.

After he had finished his morning routine, he went to the common room for something to eat. Once he opened the door, he was greeted by the other Titans. Cyborg was preparing his breakfast, Starfire was feeding Silkie, and Nightwing was reading the newspaper on the other side of the room. Sitting at the table was the newbie Titan named Caylo.

Caylo was sitting mellowly drawing on paper. Caylo had joined the Titans 6 months after Raven had left. He had the power to draw things on paper and whatever he would draw, it would come to life. Caylo was able to fill the gap, but everyone inside missed their dark friend.

Everyone at the tower liked Caylo, but Changeling. To him, Caylo was eager to join a team with one girl and three guys. A little too eager he thought. The team soon found out that Caylo was attracted to guys. The team was shocked but they brushed it off. The changeling would try his best to avoid him, but that was not the reason he disliked him. To Garfield, he replaced Raven. No one could ever take Raven's place. Caylo was a good fighter, but he would often have to save Caylo in battle.

Not only had Garfield had changed, other things changed as well. Nightwing and Starfire would date, and then break up. They would repeat this for months of time. This month's cycle: Broken Up. However, give them a couple of weeks, and they will make up. Cyborg would be gone to Titans east for days at a time. Crime was low, which left Caylo and Garfield alone. Scary.

There were some good benefits to having Caylo around. He would spar with Nightwing, clean Cyborg's car, have "girl talk" with Starfire, and he came up with Garfield's new super hero name.

Before Changeling could enjoy his breakfast, the alarm went off and they left for downtown. Yet again, Garfield had to save Caylo from deadly attacks. Honestly, he hated saving him every time. Once they returned from the mission, Garfield wanted to scold Caylo, but he needed to hold back. However, he needed to talk to someone. He called out Nightwing to talk to him.

"What's wrong Garfield?" Nightwing asked.

"Have you noticed that every time we have a mission I am always the one to save Caylo's ass?" he asked.

"Yeah," Nightwing said, "but that's what a team does. They look after each other."

"I know that. But he's part of the greatest super hero team ever and I always have to save him." He said. "If he can't save himself, how can he save a city?"

"Look, he's part of the team. Treat him like a part of the team." Nightwing said. "We will just have to do more training."

"Like that's gonna help." Garfield mumbled.

"What was that?" Nightwing questioned.

"I said, Like that's gonna help." He yelled.

"What's with this attitude? You never acted this way." Nightwing said.

"Well things change." Garfield spat. "The whole team acts as if Raven never existed. You tried to replace her, but no one can. Especially when that replacement is a guy who can't even save his own ass."

"You need to calm down." Nightwing demanded "And we all miss Raven, but we need to move on. She's gone. We can't contact her. Not even Harold can get to Azarath. There's no way she's coming back. We need to move on. The people of Azarath need her more than us. Just let it go."

"I can't let it go." Garfield shouted "why are you the one to give me advice even though you can't even keep a relationship with Kori." He started to walk away.

"That has nothing to do with this and don't walk away from your leader!" he shouted. The Changeling kept walking away and he lifted his hand and raised his middle finger. Nightwing was stunned and Garfield left the room. He was thankful that the other Titans were not there to hear his blowout, but, sooner or later, Nightwing would tell them.

Garfield walked to the only place where he could relax and clear his mind. He reached the door to the room and skillfully entered the room as a fly. Once he had morphed into his human state, he looked around the room. It was Raven's old room. It had been vacant in the past three years. The other Titans wanted to renovate it, but he disagreed and would say she would, one day, return. Somehow, he convinced them not to renovate.

He fell on top of the bed and took in her faint scent. He still missed her after the three years of her departure. When she had first left, he would often come in there and sleep. As the years passed, the less time he spent there. He closed his eyes as he remembered his friend. _I wonder how she is doing_ he thought. _I wish there was a way I could see her again._

Then he turned on the bed, fully laying on his back sprawled. Suddenly, he felt something on his back. The changeling sat up and searched the bed. He had never removed the covers before because he wanted to keep Raven's scent on it. He removed the blankets and found an envelope. The envelope was empty, but it had been writing on the back.

_Chalet's Portal Bookstore_

The envelope also had items that looked like they were for a recipe. But a recipe for what. _Guess I will have to find out more about Chalet._ Looking further there was a number on the other side. He picked up his cell phone and dialed the number. The phone rang . . .

And Rang . . .

And Rang . . .

And Ra. .

"Chalet's Portal Bookstore, How may I be of assistance to you?" a male on the phone asked.

"Yes, may I speak to the manager or owner?" the changeling asked.

"That is I. I am Chalet. Is there a problem sir?" He asked.

"May I ask you a question?" Garfield asked.

"Yes you may." Chalet said.

"I was wondering what these ingredients combined would be used for?" he asked and read off the items on the envelope.

"Hmmm interesting." Chalet said. "That sounds like one of my portal books in stock. But sir, I do not think you will have no need for that kind of sorcery."

"But I would like to know."

"I am sorry sir, but only skilled professionals know what to do."

"Meaning an Azarathian half-demon professional."

Silence.

"Listen I just want to know what the ingredients are used for."

"Indeed, so you know the professional who wrote down the items. Then, I will tell you."

"Okay."

"Those ingredients, used properly, can create a portal to any dimension."


	6. Chalet

Garfield grabbed the keys on his dresser and exited his room. Hopefully, he would not encounter any other Titans. He was not in the mood to deal with even one of them. He walked in the direction of the garage. He followed his path and reached the door. Once he opened the door, he looked around for his helmet. _It's somewhere in here, but where exactly _he thought

The changeling's eyes soon found the helmet hanging on the right wall. He walked over to it, and unhooked the helmet. Putting it under his shoulder, he walked toward his black motorcycle. However, that would have to wait.

"Hey man" a familiar voice said behind him. Garfield turned around to find his best friend, Cyborg, with his arms crossed behind him.

"I can't talk right now. I've got to go somewhere." The changeling.

"Where 'ya going?" the half-robot asked.

"No where important." Garfield said and attempted to leave.

"I heard about the confrontation between you and Nightwing." He said.

"Yeah." Garfield said, "Figured he would tell."

"Man, I have to agree with him. You have changed ever since Rae left." Cyborg said. "You need to let her go."

"Yet again, those were the same words Nightwing said to me." Garfield said. "Did he tell you what I said to him?"

"He said you barely said anything." He said.

"Well, he needs to tell the WHOLE conversation. If I remember fully, I talked my ass off. " Then Garfield put his helmet on. "I think you will have to go back and ask him what I said. I'll be back by dinner."

He opened the garage door and hopped on his motorcycle. Before he left, he waved goodbye and left. Cyborg stood in the garage following the changeling's path until he disappeared.

Garfield rode through the city. Earlier, he talked to Chalet and they agree that he would meet Chalet at his store in order to discuss. He traveled through the city and had finally reached his destination. He parked his motorcycle in front of the shop. The bookstore was in a neighborhood that had many cafes in the area. Garfield had noticed that Raven's favorite café was only two blocks away and was surprised he had not noticed this shop before.

When he entered the shop, he heard the welcoming of chime bells. The shop somewhat reminded him of a small dark library. _Hopefully, I don't encounter an old librarian _he thought as he walked toward the counter. Surprisingly, no one was at the counter. Garfield rang the bell that was in front of him.

"I'll be there momentarily." A voice said from the back room. Garfield waited for the person in the back to appear. As on command, a man with dark brown hair appeared from the back room. The man was wearing a black shirt and skinny denim jeans. His hair was long enough to put into a hair tie.

"May I help you sir?" He asked putting on his glasses.

"Yes, I am looking for Chalet." Garfield said.

"You must be Mr. Logan. I have been waiting for you. Come with me." He said and motioned toward a door located behind Chalet. Garfield followed behind the man. The room had a single bookshelf, a few chairs, and a table.

"Come sit." Chalet opened his hand to a vacant chair that sat closely by the table. He complied and sat down. The other man sat in the chair across the table.

"Let me see the paper please." Chalet asked calmly. Garfield handed the paper over to him and Chalet examined it.

"This is defiantly her handwriting all right." He said "I knew Raven for a long time. She used to come here time after time to buy from the many books I supply here."

"I see. So can you complete the spell for me?" Garfield asked.

"Well, the ingredients here are all in order, and I have all of them in stock. I just need the right procedure, but I will be able to find it." He said, "but in order for me to do that, it is going to cost you."

Without hesitation, Garfield asked, "How much?"

"Five grand Mr. Logan" Chalet said.

"I'll give you fifty-five hundred by tomorrow." Garfield responded.

"That will be too much Mr. Logan for me to accept, but if you insist." He said. "I can assure you that I will have the incantation ready by tomorrow morning."

"I don't want any silly tricks. If you send me to the wrong dimension, I will make absolutely surely that I will come back no matter what, to kick your ass."

"No need for that kind of language sir, I understand how much this means to you." Chalet said, "I promise to make the portal flawless."

"Thank you Chalet." Garfield said and stood up. Chalet did the same and took a cigarette from his pocket. Then he placed it in his mouth.

"Your welcome" he stated and the changeling began to leave.

"You really care for Raven, don't you?" He asked lighting his cigarette.

"I do." Then he left the room.

* * *

The rest of the day flew by in a blur. Garfield stayed in his room the rest of the night. He ate dinner alone because he arrived after the other Titans had eaten. He lay on his bed just thinking about Raven. He wondered how she was doing, if she missed him at all, or even what she looked like after three years. She would be surprised to see how much he has grown. Suddenly, he heard a knock at his door.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"It's Caylo. Can I talk to you?" Caylo asked.

"I'm not in the mood to talk right now dude." Garfield said.

"It will only take a minute." He urged.

"Fine," Garfield said and he walked over to the door. Once he opened it, he was greeting by no one other than Caylo. "This had better be quick and important."

"This will trust me." Caylo said. "Listen, I wanted to apologize for every time you had to save me. I shouldn't be on the team to save my own butt. I don't want to get on your bad side and I am terribly sorry that my presence here reminds you of your old team mate. I wish no hard feelings toward you."

"It's fine dude. Just train harder." Garfield said. "Is that it?"

"Pretty much." Caylo said, "So are we cool?"

"I guess." Garfield answered.

"Great, so I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yeah." Garfield said. "Now can I go to bed?"

"Um yeah." Caylo said and Garfield shut the door. He walked over to his bed and plopped down.

_Just wait Raven, I will see you tomorrow._


	7. Departure

It was finally morning, and Garfield was surprisingly ready for the day. He was dressed, cleaned, and prepared for his departure. The changeling patted the check in his pocket to be sure that it was there. Last night, he went to the bank in order to withdraw the money. The money in the bank was untouched. The account was in his name and the money was from his parents. They had left him with a large amount of money for their son. Garfield did not want to touch the money because it reminded him of his parents. He withdrew the money because he would do whatever it took to see Raven. It did not matter how much it would cost. Fortunately, he still had a great sum of money left in the bank.

He picked up a piece of paper and wrote on it.

_Dear Titans,_

_Sorry about the short notice, but I will be leaving for a bit. I can_ _assure you that I will be returning soon. I have found a way to reach Raven. Thank you for your patience and I will be prepared for you to scold me all you want when I return. See you soon._

_~Changeling_

Then he left the tower with no encounters with the other Titans. Instead of taking a vehicle, he changed into a falcon and flew over the city. He enjoyed flying over the city. Sometimes, he would often fly over the city to calm himself down. Once he found the bookstore, he landed in front of the door. He transformed back into his human form and entered the store.

He walked in the bookstore and was greeted by Chalet.

"Welcome, Mr. Logan." He said "Are you prepared to leave?"

"Hell yeah." Garfield said and he handed the check over to Chalet. Chalet examined it and nodded in approval.

"Lets get started." He said and he entered in the room where they were yesterday. "Before we start, I must tell you a few things."

"Okay." Garfield said entering the room.

"Your journey will be like no other. When you enter the portal, you must change into an animal that is able to fly." Chalet explained. "You will fly upwards until you reach a diagram which is the entrance to Azarath. The only way you can get through is with this pendant." Chalet handed the changeling the pendant.

"Second, after you arrive in Azarath, you will be unable to use your powers. You will be unable to shift into your animals. You must be very cautious." Chalet explained and he handed a white cloak to the changeling. "This will help you conceal yourself. Keep the hood up so no one will see your face. Look for the tallest tower in Azarath. That is where you will find Raven. However, another word of caution. There will be guards around the entrances. Try to look for an unguarded entrance."

Garfield nodded his head and asked. "How do you know so much about Azarath?"

Chalet said, "I used to live in Azarath, that is how I know. Now, I think it is time for you to depart."

Garfield could not have agreed more. Chalet began to prepare. He grabbed bottles that were on the table. He poured the bottles full of powder onto the floor. While he did that, the changeling put on the white cloak that was given to him. Chalet poured the powder on the floor in shape of a circle. He then lit some candles around the circle.

"Okay Mr. Logan," Chalet said "Step into the circle and soon you will be in the portal." The changeling agreed and stepped in the circle. Chalet stood a few feet away while holding a book.

"Be careful Mr. Logan. I wish you the best of luck." Chalet said.

"Thank you Chalet." Garfield said.

Chalet began to speak in Latin and the room began to glow. Suddenly, Garfield was transported through a portal. He was surrounded by funnel of colors. Instinctively, he changed into an eagle and flew upwards. Just as Chalet said, he reached a glowing barrier. Garfield held the pendant his beak. He was soon through the barrier and the eagle landed on a rock. The changeling transformed into is human state and gazed at what was in front of him. Raven had once told the Titans what Azarath looked like, but words could not express how beautiful it was. Garfield lifted his hood over his head and walked into the city.


	8. Encounter

Garfield was amazed to see how beautiful Azarath was. It reminded him of Jump City because of the high buildings. However, it had a modern look to it. He walked through the city looking at his surroundings. He tried to do this unnoticeably because the streets were filled with people. He had expected that everyone of Azarath would be much different from normal people, but it was much like the city. The only difference was that they all wore white cloaks much like the one he was wearing.

He walked aimlessly through the city trying to find the tallest tower. He didn't want to ask anyone around him because he thought it would ruin his mission. Along he walked and his eye caught a glimpse of a bright reflection. Garfield looked to find where the light had come from. He soon found a tall tower with a golden dove on the side of it. _That must be it_ he thought and he walked toward the building.

He soon reached the building and, as expected, there were two guards at one of the doors. He looked over and saw there was only one guard at one door. He stood there trying to think of an elaborate plan to get one of the guards away from the door. He thought, he thought, and he thought some more. Nothing and he sighed. Garfield looked over to the door there was no guard at the door. He looked around and found the guard was some ways away heading toward a building which he assumed had food. _I guess that will do_ the changeling thought. He walked leisurely toward the unguarded door. The changeling looked around to see if anyone was looking. There was no one looking. He quickly entered the door.

Once he was in the building, he looked around his surroundings. The hallway somewhat reminded him of Raven's decor, but much lightened. There was no one around but he still kept his hood up. Garfield followed the hallway which led to a large foyer. There was a giant chandelier hanging above and a few flights of stairs. The foyer was full of light from what he assumed was the Azarathian sun. Suddenly, the room changed.

"Excuse me sir, but why are you here?" a stranger asked. Garfield turned around to find three men approaching him. They all wore the same outfit that Dominic and Claudius wore years ago, but they had an addition of white armor. They soon reached Garfield and they stood in line. Garfield did not know what to say.

"Civilians are not allowed in the royal monastery, unless they have permission." The middle man stated. Yet again, Garfield didn't know what to say.

"Sir, you must speak." The one said on the right.

"And this place is of discipline. I ask that you remove your hood," the left one stated. "Or I must remove it myself." Garfield took a step backwards but one of the guards grabbed his cloak and removed his hood. The men were shocked to find what they saw. In front of them was a green man with pointed ears.

"It's a beast!" One of the guards shouted, "We have to capture him." Garfield tried his best to escape, but the three men tackled him to the ground. Garfield struggled but was amazed at the guards' upper body strength. He struggled to escape but put a holding spell on him. Garfield recognized this because in the past Raven would hold him during training when they were in hand and hand combat. He would shout that it was cheating, but Raven would just laugh and withdraw the spell. Time after time, she would repeat the same thing.

"Why do come in such a place of pureness, you vile beast?" Asked one of the guards. Garfield could not talk due to the spell that was on him.

"How do we get rid of this beast?" the other guard asked.

"I say we make him suffer" the guard said "a beast like this should not have encountered us."

_Great, I didn't know Azarath had serial killer guards _Garfield thought. He went through anyway to get out the hold, but it was useless. He didn't have his powers. The changeling had to find a way to get out of this. _Just think Garfield, Think!_

"I suggest you let him go." A feminine voice said from the stair case. The guards turned their attention toward the voice, but Garfield could not see who the voice came from.

"But Miss, this beast may have the intention to harm you or the monks. Let us dispose of this creature." One of the guards said.

"I can assure you that man has no intention of harming me or others what so ever. So I command you to let him go." The woman said.

"Yes Dido." The guards said reluctantly and they withdrew the holding spell in the changeling. The men got off of the changeling and kneeled on the ground._ I guess that's my way out _Garfield thought. He tried to stand up but the holding spell was still fading. When he stood up, he looked where the female voice was. He turned toward the staircase and his mouth dropped.

Standing on the stairs was the woman he had thought about throughout the years, the reason he was there, and the woman he was searching for. The woman had changed since he last saw her. Her hair had grown longer, she had more feminine face, she grew a few inches taller, and she grew in the chest. The woman was wearing a white dress that ended a few inches past her knees. Her dress had a v-neck line that exposed some of her cleavage. Her arms were covered by the long sleeves and there was a hood connected in the back of the dress. He was amazed at how much she changed. She was even more beautiful.

Her face revealed that she was shocked. The woman's eyes were wide and her mouth was dropped a bit.

"Garfield?" she asked looking at the man "Is that really you?"

"Y-yeah it's me" he studdered. "Raven, it's been so long." She walked toward him and Garfield stood still. When she reached the floor, the sound of her heals hitting the floor was the only sound heard. The changeling's heart began to race and he was short of breath. He watched her walk gracefully across the room as she approached him.

She stopped in front of him and she looked into his eyes. She started at them for so long, the changeling wanted to faint.

"Oh my Azar, it is you." She said enthusiastically and she hugged him. For so long he wanted to hold her. For so long he wanted to take in her scent. He embraced her and he felt at peace. They both smiled and the hug was broken up by a distinct cough from one of the guards.

"Oh before I forget, the guards here. This is Airaset, Jasper, and Malikei." She said introducing the guards who bowed. "And they were about to apologize to my friend Garfield Logan for the trouble they have caused."

"We apologize, Mr. Logan." They said in unison. "We were only trying to assure Dido Raven's safety. Please, forgive us."

"It's okay guys." Garfield said and he turned his attention to Raven. "Dido Raven huh? Has a nice ring to it."

"I see that all this time you have come up with more mature jokes. Congratulations, you have graduated from the 3rd grade jokes to the 6th grade jokes." Raven said.

"Dude, it's been so long since I heard a sarcastic remark from you." Garfield said.

"Funny. How did you get here?" She asked "Wait, maybe not now, maybe later you can tell me. I have to show you Azarathian Monastery. Follow me." Suddenly, she held the changeling's hand and led him to the staircase. Garfield was taken back by this, but he gripped her hand and followed her. They soon stopped at the top of stairs and Raven turned toward the ground floor.

"You guys can get up now." She said. "If Garfield could get in here, imagine who else could get in. You may want to investigate the doors. Solomon might be at the restaurant across the way to eat." The man stood up in unison and left the room in hast.


	9. Selfless

Raven showed him around the monastery. He was able to see the great elegant hallways, the monstrous size of the bedrooms, the immense books in the library and much more. Garfield was amazed at how everything was clean and ornate. There were sculptures and other priceless arts. He was very tempted to touch them, but he knew Raven would probably slap his hand and treat him like a child. The whole monastery reminded him of a medieval castle he had once visited on a mission in Romania.

"So what do you think?" Raven asked as they were walking in a long hallway.

"It's nice. I would have never expected this much." He said. Suddenly his stomach began to growl.

"You must be hungry." She said, "Just at this end of the hallway is the dining room and kitchen. You can get something to snack on."

"Sounds good to me." The changeling said and they soon reached the end of the hallway. They were faced with a door in front of them and Raven opened it revealing the dining room. Yet again, Garfield was amazed at the room. The table was huge and there was a fireplace some ways away. They both walked in and Raven sat down in a chair. Garfield sat across from her.

Instantaneously, the doors opened and a man walked toward them. Once he reached Raven he asked,

"What would you like Dido? I advise you do not eat too much since dinner is less than three hours." The man asked.

"I would not like anything for now." She said, "But my guest here would like a little snack please."

"As you wish." Then the man left from where he came from. Then Raven turned her attention toward Garfield.

"Now we are going to talk." She said bluntly, "how did you get here?"

"Umm. Well I found a way to open a portal to your dimension." He said.

"I know you Garfield. You had help to open a dimension without me." She said.

"Honestly, I was accidently in your room and I found a piece of paper in your old room with a name on it. I found the guy written on the piece of paper. I contacted him, and he made the portal for me." He explained.

"Makes sense. May I ask who helped you?" She asked.

"I don't know his last name but his first name is Chalet." He said. Instantly, a smile rose on her face.

"Ah good old Chalet." She said. "I'm surprised he helped you. He doesn't usually help anyone. He must be in a good mood. If you don't mind, if anyone here asks how you got here, do not mention Chalet."

"Why not?" he asked.

"He is an exile from Azarath. Apparently, he was using forbidden magic in Azarath." She explained. "In my opinion, I believe he was framed." Garfield nodded.

"Another question." She said. Garfield nodded once again.

"How is everyone?" she asked. Garfield was about to speak until the man came out from the kitchen and gave him a plate of crackers and cheese. He thanked the man and the man left. He started to eat the crackers, but he knew Raven was eager to know how her friends were.

"Things have somewhat changed. Nightwing and Kori have been dating on and off for a few years. Nightwing has a new villain to obsess over." He said and Raven frowned. "The crime rate is low. Cyborg is mostly gone. He is working either on his car, or at Titans East. There's this new Titan named Caylo and I'm always saving his ass. So, it kinda sucks."

"I see." She said. There was a brief moment of silence until he broke it.

While eating his snack, he noticed that she was wearing the necklace he had given her three years ago.

"I see that you still have the necklace that I gave you." He said.

She placed her fingers on her neckline and on the necklace. "Yes, I wear it every day. It reminds me of you and the Titans. Somehow, I know that you are still here with me every day."

"I missed you so much Rae." He said trying to finish his cracker.

"I missed you as well." She said. Suddenly, the door that led to the hallway opened and Claudius came out. He stopped in his tracks and had a questionable look on his face when he saw Garfield.

"Raven, I did not know that you had a guest. Especially a guest from your former dimension. May I ask how he got here?" He asked.

"I have my ways." Garfield replied. Claudius was about to open his mouth but Raven spoke.

"You heard him. He has his ways." She said. "Anyway, is there something you need?"

"Yes, the monks have requested that you attend an urgent meeting in the monks' quarters." He explained.

"Now?" She asked.

"Indeed." Claudius replied. Raven sighed and stood up.

"I'm on my way." She faced the changeling, "If you don't mind, I must go immediately."

"That's fine." He said eating his last piece of cheese.

"Great, now I would like you to just stay calm while I am at my meeting. You may do whatever you please, but Claudius will be with you until I meet with you once again." She said.

"I will?" Claudius asked.

"Yes you are. Thanks for volunteering. Just keep him company while I'm gone." She said. "I assume he will stay the night, so I ask that you show him the guest room near the right wing."

"Yes ma'am." He said. "I suggest you leave now. Father Leon will not be pleased."

"I'm leaving. Thanks Claudius." Then she walked toward the door and waved goodbye to the two men.

* * *

"Sorry that I am late." Raven said as she sat down in the chair next to two of the monks.

"It is not wise to be late my dear Raven." Father Leon said.

"At least I am here." She said. "Now why have you called on this urgent meeting?"

"I am glad you have asked." Leon said. He stood up from his chair. Leon was an older man but he still had some youth in him. The other monks were the same way.

"I am glad that you have all come. This meeting has concerned about the stranger that has entered Azarath." Leon said and Raven immediately took part.

"The guards state that he is a man with a strange appearance." Father Muso said.

"Let me guess, he's tall, green, has a snagal tooth, and pointed ears?" She asked.

"You are correct Dido. You must have seen this mysterious man." Muso asked.

"Yes. His name is Garfield Logan and he is an old friend from my previous dimension. He has found a way to transport himself here for a visit." She explained. The monks nodded.

"How did he get there?" Father Rock asked.

"He was able to figure it on his own surprisingly." She said and they believed her.

"So are we to be concerned for him? He could be endangering the people and even us." Father Vladimir said.

"He wouldn't hurt a fly. I assure you." She said but that did not convince Vladimir. However, it convinced the other five monks.

"Then I propose we welcome him as a guest in the monastery." Leon stated. "We should have a feast to welcome him." The monks agreed but Vladimir.

"Why should we welcome him? Does he not resemble a beast as the guards have described?" Vladimir objected. "Why does he get welcome arms? When my sister visited from Garthmuth, we didn't welcome her."

"That's because she's more of a beast than Garfield is." Raven chucked.

"Don't say such things Dido Raven." Leon said, "You are queen of Azarath and that is no way to speak ill of someone's sibling. Even if they look like a beast." Raven smiled. Raven respected Father Leon the most out of all the six monks. He and Mother Azar were the ones to aid in taking care of Raven. He was very kind to her. The least favorite monk was unsurprisingly, Vladimir. Vlad was intolerant of Raven. When she was returned to Azarath and was claimed Queen, Vlad was the one to oppose it. He did not like Raven because she was a half-breed and he believed in royal blood. Raven would be nice, but they both agreed to disagree.

"I apologize." She said.

"Now, let us go welcome our guest." Leon claimed.

* * *

"This is the guest room that you will sleep for the night." Claudius said as he opened the door. Garfield had seen this room as Raven and him on a tour and was happy he got a giant room with many luxuries.

"Thanks Claudius, nice digs." Garfield said and he plopped on the bed. Garfield looked at Claudius and he had a confused look on his face.

"Come again?"he asked

"I'm sorry." Garfield apologized. "I meant the room is nice." Claudius made a brief 'oh' sound and he sat on the chair across the room.

"Hey Claudius." Garfield said. Claudius responded to his name. "In your perspective how is Raven as queen?"

"I could not imagine a better queen for Azarath since mother Azar than Raven." He explained. "She has greatly influence Azarath and its people. Unlike the monks, her whole mission is to help the Azarathians. Many Azarathians approve of her. However, there are some anti-demon members out there. But Raven pays them no mind."

"That sounds just like her." Garfield said.

"Most true. She is very selfless as she cares for the concerns of others more than her own, She is also kind to the staff here. She has especially shown me and my wife great kindness." Claudius said.

"How so?" Garfield asked.

"Several years ago, my wife and I had our first child together. When he was born, he had serious complications and had to special operations and attention. We could not afford for our son's medical bills. The medical clinic here had refused us because of our financial situation. One day, Raven heard about our son and quickly contacted us. She was the head of the medical units in Azarath. She could not help us pay for the bills, but she claimed that she could help our son by healing him." He explained. "We thought it through but our son was on the brink of death and we had to act immediately. I brought my son over and Raven had a healing session that took an hour and a half. She was drained emotionally and physically after the healing. Our son stayed in the healing room for another 24 hours. When we returned to find our son, we were astonished. He looked healthier. Before, other doctors gave our son less than a year to live. And now,"

He pulled out a picture from his pocket and showed it to Garfield. The picture was of a little boy smiling and laughing while he was perched on Claudius' back.

"That is what he looks like now. He will soon be starting school. We only have to visit Raven with another healing session every other year. But we like to bring him to Raven so she could see him often."

"What is your son's name?" Garfield asked.

"Darren." Claudius said, "Raven has even given us an apartment that is the basement. The staff do not live here, but she gave us an apartment for our family. All we have to do is serve under her. It is a great pleasure working with her. The monks treat us as servants, but Dido Raven treats us equal as her own. My wife, Odzola, is the closest servant she has. I respect Dido Raven very much and I would protect her."

"Wow. She really did that. But I'm not surprised, she has always been that way." Garfield said.

"Indeed." Claudius said. Soon, the door opened revealing Raven.

"Hey, the monks have scheduled a feast for Garfield as our guest. Claudius, may you give him a proper Azarathian formal attire if you will?"

"Yes ma'am. Would they be located in that closet over there?" He asked.

"Yes." She said. "Dinner is in one hour and I expect that you, Garfield, to be on your best behavior at dinner."

"Yesserie!" Garfield said enthusiastically.

"I will see you in one hour then." She said, "By the way, Claudius, you are expected to come as well. I have invited Odzola and Darren to attend as well. So I expect some nice attire as well and not your servant attire like last time."

"Yes Dido. I will" Claudius said and Raven exited the room.


	10. Meet The Monks

"Now, let's recite this again." Claudius said pointing a stick at Garfield.

"Father, Leon, Muzo, Rock, Rafael, Bato, and Vladimir?" he recited.

"Correct, now we must go to dinner." Claudius said. Garfield nodded and the exited the room. They both wore the same attire. Yet again, they wore a white robe with a hood, except, it had a black lining on the edges. _How is this formal?_ Garfield thought and they walked toward the dining room.

"I've got a question." Garfield said.

"What is your question?" Claudius asked.

"Does Raven always wear that necklace with the raven on it?" Garfield asked.

"Indeed. She practically wears it every day. Sometimes I believe she bathes and sleeps in it. She greatly admires that necklace." Claudius answered.

"I see." Garfield said.

"Are you ready for this?" Claudius asked as they reached the dining room door.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Garfield replied.

"Don't worry, but they don't bite." Claudius said, "Raven may be the one to worry about." Then they entered the dining room. The dining room was the same, with the exception of the six monks and Raven. The monks sat by the fireplace and Raven walked toward Claudius and Garfield.

"Great choice Claudius. It must have been hard to choose an outfit for such an occasion." Raven said.

"Very dreadful." He said.

"Nice to see you once again Garfield." She said to him. "It is quite a difference to see you in elegant clothes."

"You know you liked it when I just walked around in only my boxers around Titans Tower." He said.

"Oh yes, just as much as Vic loves tofu." She said, "But now, when you are here, keep the jokes to a minimum. You can tell me all of your jokes afterwards. The monks don't have a sense of humor."

"I promise." He claimed.

"Just to let you know, there will be no meat served in dinner tonight" she whispered. "And you can just have some more table manners."

"Sounds good to me." He whispered back. Suddenly, the door opened behind them revealing a woman and a small child. The woman was about the height of Raven. She had golden brown hair that she pulled back into a hair tie. The small child next to her had brown hair, but had almost the same facial features like the woman. Garfield assumed it was Odzola and Darren. When she walked in, she greeted Claudius with a hug. Darren ran toward his father and hugged his legs. Claudius picked his son up and smiled.

"How's my son?" He asked.

"I'm good daddy." He said. He looked toward Garfield and asked, "Who is that?"

"This is Mr. Logan. He's on a visit. Why don't you say hello?" Claudius said. Darren said hello and Garfield waved back.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Logan," Odzola greeted.

"Like wise." He said. Suddenly a bell rang that brought the attention to everyone. The waiter earlier was the one who rang the bell.

"Dinner is served. Please sit down." He said and everyone started to converge to the table. The monks sat on one half of the table with Leon at the end. Garfield, Claudius, Odzola, and Darren filled the other half of the table. Raven sat at the other end across Leon. The plates had already been passed out and everything else surrounded it. Garfield began to recognize the order and was very confident. The food was being passed out when Father Leon spoke.

"I apologize Mr. Logan that the monks and I have not formally greeted you." He said, "I wish to welcome you to Azarath."

"Thank you." Garfield said politely.

"Tell me about yourself, Mr. Logan." Father Rock asked.

"Well, you may already know that I am from a different dimension of course. I am part of a super hero team that Raven used to be a part of. Um. I can't think of anything else." Garfield explained.

"I see, and you have supernatural abilities. Tell us what abilities you have." Leon asked.

"I can turn into animals." He said.

"So you are a changeling." Leon said

"You're right! Usually people call me a shape-shifter, but there's a difference." Garfield said.

"To prove you can change, why don't you show us." Vladimir said. Garfield took a gulp, but before he could answer, Raven spoke.

"You know as much as I do, Vlad, that the Azarathian atmosphere makes him unable to shift." Raven said and she started to eat.

"I was just wondering if it were true." He said.

"Wow Vlad and you became an all-knowing monk?" She sarcastically said.

"Dido, I happen to know much and that is why I was appointed as a monk." He said.

"Then you should have known that 'all-knowing monk'" she said.

"Stop arguing you two. This feast is to welcome Mr. Logan and not give them a sample of the daily bickering between you two." Leon stated.

"Yes, Leon." She said and picked up her wine glass. Vlad watched in distaste as she drank her wine.

The dinner went on as usual. Garfield was introduced to the life of the monks and the monastery. He finally remembered all the monks' names but he was not fond of Vladimir. The main course was eaten and everyone had their full. Leon stood up and the other monks repeated. They walked toward Garfield and he stood up.

"It was a great pleasure to meet you Mr. Logan. I hope you have a great time in Azarath." He said and then was whispered, "I can also be sure that you and Raven spend time tomorrow." Garfield couldn't speak. Did he know that he liked Raven? Before he left, he winked and left the room. The monks shook Garfield's hand one by one. Lastly, Vlad was at the end. He looked at Garfield in disgust. The changeling extended his hand for his to shake it, but Vladimir stared at it repulsively and walked away. Garfield looked back at him as he left the room.

"What's his deal?" he said. Raven smiled.

"He's always like that. Don't pay him mind. I give him shit all the time." Raven said.

"Maybe because he deserves it." He said. Odzola had her son snuggled against her and he was sleeping.

"I guess it's my time to go as well." Odzola said, "It was very nice to meet you Mr. Logan."

"Just call me Garfield." He said. Claudius and Odzola left the room leaving Raven and Garfield alone.

"Since when did you give out your real name?" Raven said, "I thought you were too embarrassed to even say your name."

"I kinda get used to it now." He said.

"C'mon, let's go to the living room." She said. He nodded and they descended to the living room. Once they entered the room, Raven sat on the couch and Garfield sat on the love seat across from her.

"I know you have some more scoop for me. Tell me what else has happened since I've been gone." She said.

Hours passed as they talked about the past. They talked about what life was like back then, the different personalities of each Titan and their spoofs. They remembered the good times they had, and even the bad times they had. Soon, Raven was laying on the couch trying to stay awake.

"Miss Raven, I believe you are tired. You should go to bed." Garfield said.

"Ha! I don't take orders from anyone, but I will just take it as a suggestion. But you're right." She said.

"What was that? I was, what?" he asked.

She sighed and reluctantly said, "You were right."

He jumped up and did a dance. "I've been saving this 'Garfield was right' dance for years! Now I get to use this."

"Just don't use it again. No wonder it's been years since you did this dance. You can't dance." She said and stood up.

"I believe I dance quite well Raven." He said.

"All right, it's time for you to go to bed too. You are starting to talk gibberish." She said and tasseled his hair.

"Wow thanks Raven" he said but she had already left the room. "Wait Rae!" He ran to the hallway, but she was nowhere to be seen. _Where the hell . . ._ he though.

"Did I go?" a voice interrupted his thoughts behind me. Garfield was startled and jumped. It turned out that it was Raven. She smiled while he tried to catch his breath.

"How did you do that?" He asked after he caught his breath.

"Well I was behind the door." She said.

"Not that. How did you know what I was thinking?" he asked.

"Oh that. You know I'm an empath. Since I've been here, I have been able to read the minds of everyone." She said.

"Won't you hear everyone's mind? Especially in a crowded room." He said.

"I can just tone into one person if I want to. It's similar to your selective hearing."She explained.

"Similar to what?" he asked.

"I just told you." She said.

"I know Rae, I was kidding." He said.

"Wow, really?" She asked.

"Really." He said

"Really." She said.

"Really" he said blankly.

"Nice, well I'm going to my room." She began to walk toward the end of the hallway.

"Mind if I follow you?" He asked. She gave him a questionable look.

"Wait, I just want to walk you to your room, and stop at the door. Then I will go to my own room." He explained.

"Then you can." She said and they walked together. The walk was silent the whole way and soon they reached her bedroom door.

"Well this is where I enter and you go." She said.

"Okay," he said nervously, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Garfield." She said and then entered the room and closed the door. Garfield sighed and walked toward his bedroom. Once he entered his room, he plopped himself on the bed and closed his eyes. He was able to fall sleep soundly. Over the years, this was the best sleep he had ever experienced.


	11. Escape of the Troubled Mind

Raven walked through the doors of the main room. There sat all seven monks in a circle around the table. However, usually there was an empty seat waiting for her. This time, there was no vacant seat.

"Is there something you guys aren't telling me?" She said, "Is Vlad named the new Queen?"

"Ah Raven, I see you have awoken. There is nothing to be worried about. All of us have agreed that you should take the day off from your duties to spend time with your guest." Leon said.

"Yes, I suggest you show him Azarath. Give him a tour around to the glorious city." Muzo said.

"If you are all fine with that, I guess I will go wake him up." She said.

"You shall go now. We will handle everything." Muzo said. She nodded and left the room.

* * *

Garfield was surprisingly up and ready. He opened the door to the hallway and exited the bedroom.

_I'm hungry. Hopefully I can find the kitchen. If I remember the way, _he thought to himself. Lost in his thoughts, he bumped into something hard. He saw a shade of purple hair and a white cloak. He regained his stance and so did what he hit.

"I am so sorry Raven. I didn't see you coming." He said. He soon realized that it was not Raven. The figure turned to face him. She looked almost like Raven, except she had ivory skin and looked older than Raven.

"I'm sorry you have been mistaken." The woman said.

"I am very sorry ma'am. I was sorta lost in my thoughts and I did not see you." He said.

"It is fine. We all do it." She said. "May I ask, but I have not seen you in Azarath. Are you from a different dimension?"

"Yeah, I'm just visiting Dido Raven. I am a friend from her previous dimension." He said. The woman had a curious look at him.

"So, you are personal with Dido Raven?" she said,

"Well, not that personal. Raven and I were friends and we used to fight crime when she was in my dimension." He explained.

"I see." She said. "Well I must get going." She started leave.

"Before you leave, may I know your name?" He asked.

"Arella" she said and disappeared down the hallway. _Why does that name sound familiar?_ He thought. He walked toward the end of the hallway and reached the stairs.

"Hey, you with the face" he heard a familiar voice said from the bottom of the stairs. He looked over the railing and found the voice belonged to Raven.

"Morning Rae." He said and walked down the stairs. Raven stood in place and crossed her arms. Once he reached the bottom, he said,

"I didn't know you were wondering around. I thought you had things to do today."

"I do have things to do today. Apparently to the monks, it is giving you a tour of Azarath and to spend time with you." She said. Garfield nodded.

"So let's get breakfast. Do you have your hologram ring?" she asked.

"Fortunately, I do." He said and pulled it out of his pocket.

"Great because you will need it." She said and they walked toward the kitchen. They finished their breakfast and they descended to the exit of the tower. Raven had successfully created a spell that could disguise her as a normal person. She had dark brown hair, her skin was tanner, and her amethyst eyes were replaced with dark brown eyes.

Garfield had brownish blonde hair, his green skin was now a light shade of ivory, his eyes were still green, but his ears were somewhat pointed.

"Stay close to me okay." She said and they entered the streets of Azarath. It all seemed the same to Garfield since he entered Azarath. The streets were still filled with people and merchants had their stands open.

"So, I never really asked you how things were here." He said.

"It's all right. I'm feeling homesick now." She said.

"You don't like being queen?" he asked.

"Well I do. I have helped Azarathians very much. It's just been more than I expected." She said.

"That's good." He said,

"Yeah, but it's not all fun in games. I'm always in the monastery a lot with a great amount of paper work. And I'm always getting shit from Vlad, but I entertain myself by returning the favor." She said.

"I can see that." He said and they walked in silence for a while. Until the calm silence was broken. A few feet away there was a group of people forming a circle with signs. The signs said, "Pure Bloods, not Half-Bloods." They both knew what it meant. Raven turned her back toward the protestors and kept walking. Garfield felt bad for Raven. After all that she has done to help Azarath, there was still prejudice. Before they could leave the seen, one of the protestors stopped in front of Raven.

"Will you join our protest?" he asked, "We have gained many people to impeach that vile half-demon that is claimed queen."

"No thank you." She said and began to walk away.

"You are no better than the half-demon. Praising her gives her more power. One of these days, she will murder the monks we so preciously care for. And soon she will take over Azarath and spill our blood." The man ranted. Raven kept walking and ignored his ranting. Garfield knew that she tried to ignore it, but inside, he knew it would forever be engraved. They walked away from the protest.

"Are you okay Rae?" Garfield asked.

"I'm fine." She said but he knew she was not okay. Hours passed and they did not encounter any more protestors. Garfield was able to see the culture of the Azarathians and took a lot of interest. He asked many questions and Raven was happy to answer them. They soon reached the tower and it was turning into night. The two had gone upstairs and removed their disguises. Once they reached the kitchen, they sat down and began to eat what the chef had made them. Garfield and Raven began to talk and once they had finished their meal, they descended to their own rooms.

Garfield lay on his bed, but he could not sleep. The image of the protestors was still replaying in his mind. He moved to get comfortable, but he could not. The changeling stood up and exited his room. He walked the hallways trying to waste time, but he noticed a stairway that he had not seen before. The door to the top of the stairs was open and it crept in little light. Out of his own curiosity, he walked up the stairs and went through the door. He soon was on the roof of the tower. The city was a plain view of the tower. The tower looked over the city and the lights glimmered. There was a slight breeze in the air. Garfield walked further onto the roof and found a woman sitting several feet away from the edge. He walked closer and found out that it was Raven. She was surprised to find him on the roof.

"How did you get up here?" She asked.

"Well, I couldn't sleep and I just found the stairs." He said.

"Oh." She said and he sat next to her. They sat in silence to view the city.

"Wow, that is a beautiful view. It reminds me of Jump." He said. She nodded in response.

"I came up her to clear my mind and relax." She said.

"Nothing has changed with you." He said. "Are you still thinking about what happened today?"

"To be honest with you, yes I have." She admitted.

"You don't need to worry about them Rae," he put an arm around her shoulder. "It doesn't matter what you think of what they say. As long as you believe you are doing the right thing."

"I am doing the right thing, but there are still people that despise me because I'm part demon." She said.

"It doesn't matter what they say. Fuck whatever they think. It doesn't matter if your full human, Full demon, or full chipmunk. You have the heart to lead these people. You are a beautiful woman with a strong desire to do what is best for others. In all the time I have known you, you have not done one thing for yourself. You only think about the concerns for others before your own. You don't deserve to think of yourself as that. I don't see you as a half-demon in my eyes. I see you as a strong and beautiful woman." He said.

Raven was shocked at what he said. "Y-You really think I'm beautiful?" She asked.

"Yes. Yes I do." He said and he looked into her eyes. "I have always thought you were beautiful. I know that you are beautiful." She didn't know what to say. Raven was nearly speechless.

"Do you really mean that?" She asked. Garfield nodded his head.

"I would never lie to you Raven. I have missed you so much since you left. I don't get a lot of sleep to these days and I think of you every day. After you left, I greatly appreciated that you were in my life. I did not just want to come here to visit. I wanted to see you again instead of in my memories. Time had passed, and I have grown to like you. And now, since I have seen you recently, I have a desire to tell you that I love you." He said.

Yet again, his words struck her greatly. She could not believe the words that came out. But inside, she greatly desired to hear those words come from his mouth. Raven mumbled words he could not understand.

"I am sorry Raven that I just said that but . . . " he said but he was interrupted by Raven's index finger on his lips.

"I said that I love you too." She said and leaned closer to him. She placed her lips and his own. There was a shock between them but it was a pleasurable shock. Garfield pulled Raven closer to him and wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight. Raven responded by snaking her arms around his neck and holding him tight. They kissed for what seemed like forever, until they withdrew for air. Raven looked into his eyes and knew he was truly sincere and that she was right to love him back. He gazed in her eyes and he knew she was telling the truth.

"I have been waiting for so long to do that." He said.

"And I have been waiting for so long to do this." She said and she crushed her lips onto his. This time, the kiss was more aggressive. She slipped her tongue in his mouth and their tongues began to dance together. Moments passed and they kept their pace. Raven withdrew quickly.

"Maybe we should go somewhere private." She said suggestively.

"I agree." He replied and Raven engulfed the two of them into a black vortex. Unknowing to them, somewhere private would be appropriate. They did not sense the presence of two eyes that were hidden in the shadows of the roof.

* * *

Raven transported them to her bedroom. They stood in the middle of the room holding each other.

"Oh how I miss going through that dark vortex thingy." He said and he kissed her. Moments passed and it began to get heated. Without Garfield knowing, she was pushing him backwards and soon his back was against the wall. She let go of his neck and found her hands up his shirt. She started to touch and feel the contents under his shirt. Before she could explore blindly, he removed his shirt and it revealed his perfectly sculpted abs. She resumed her massage of his chest and suddenly, she found herself pinned against the wall.

He slowly moved his way down from her lips, to her jaw, and finally to her neck. He first kissed softly, then it progressed to lick and lightly on her neck. She let out a soft moan and he withdrew from his assault on her neck. He removed the white cloak she was wearing. Surprisingly, he found that she was wearing a white leotard underneath it. In the brief time he looked at her leotard, Raven had found a way to rip off his belt and throw it on the ground. He gave her a suggestive look and he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her to the bed. He lightly laid her on the bed and he hoovered over her. He wanted to kiss her again, but a small voice in his mind said that he should not be doing this.

"Raven" he asked.

"Yes." She responded.

"I don't think we should be doing this." He said. "I think we are going to fast and I am just thinking about you."

"If you were truly thinking of me, you would know that I want this." She said. "As I said, I've been waiting for this. I've been waiting for you."

"I have been waiting for you too, but are you sure about this?" He asked.

"More than sure." She said and kissed his cheek.

"Would it be appropriate to say that I have always thought of you as my mate?" He asked.

"I think so, but how many girls had you said that to." She said. There was a silence. "I'm sorry that I said that."

"Don't say you're sorry, but you are the only woman I have said that to. No one could ever be considered my mate. You are my mate Raven. Please believe me." He pleaded.

She smiled and said, "I believe you Garfield. So let's get rid of talk and get this damn leotard off me."

"OoOoOoOoOoOo Raven, never know you could talk dirty like that." He said. She raised one eyebrow and gave his a serious look.

"What did I just say?" she said.

"Oh right" he said and he began his assault on her neck. Raven moaned in pleasure and she arched her back. He reached around and found her zipper. He quickly unzipped it and removed her leotard. Throwing the leotard on the ground, he was disappointed to find that there were more articles of clothing he had to go through before he got to see her womanhood. But he was not complaining; she had black lacy under wear and bra. He didn't waste any time trying to unhook her bra and was successful. Throwing the bra across the room, he was amazed at his mate's breasts. He could tell that Raven was somewhat insecure about her appearance.

"You look beautiful." He said and kissed her on the lips. She smiled in response and felt a bulge pressing against her. Garfield withdrew from her lips and engulfed his mouth in her right breast. Raven began to moan louder as he massaged her other breast. He licked, sucked, and nibbled her breast. Garfield then began to switch back and forth and she began to moan louder. While he continued on her breasts, she placed her fingers on the top of his boxers and began to pull them down. She was struggling, but he helped remove it. He placed his fingers on her lacy underwear and began to remove it. He gently pulled it down and when it was removed from her body, he threw it beside their scattered clothes on the floor.

Raven was amazed to find that he was big. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I am very certain love." She said.

"Ok my mate." He replied.

He slowly entered himself into her and he slowly began to thrust. Raven had an uncomfortable look on her face, but she reassured him to continue. He slowly began to thrust inside of her and soon the pain turned into complete pleasure. She moaned loudly and urged him to go faster and harder. He complied and started to thrust faster and harder. His pace increased and Raven began to moan louder. He kept going faster and he hit her g-spot. She let out a pleasurable scream and held him closer. Garfield kept hitting her spot and he started to reach his climax. His pace was faster and she let out one last scream in orgasmic pleasure. Her hips began to buckle and he slowed down his pace. Slowly, he stopped. They laid down trying to catch their breath. Moments passed and Garfield pulled out of her and laid down next to her.

She turned on her side and rested her head on his chest. She softly petted his chest hair and he pulled her closer to him.

"I love you Raven." He said in her ear.

"I love you too, my mate." She replied. They smiled and slowly drifted into sleep in each others' arms.


	12. Blood

Morning showed its bright waves of light over Azarath. The city shined as the sun made its way from the horizon. It seemed to be a normal day, but within the monks' tower, there was faint essence of unnaturalness that usually occurred in the tower. The servants were tending to their duties, and the guards were securing the premises. However, within the rooms, things had changed.

Raven had woken up peacefully. She soon realized that whatever her head was on was hard and was moving. Opening her eyes, she woke up to the sight of Garfield looking up at her. He smiled at her and said,

"Good Morning Sunshine." He kissed her on the forehead.

"Morning" she said.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm feeling great. That was a best sleep I had in the longest time." She replied.

"I could say the same thing." He said, "So you are fine with what we did last night?"

"Yes Garfield. How many times do I have to tell you? I was very sure." She said.

"Okay." He said, "Do you realize that we did that, um, without protection?"

"Of course." She replied, "I placed a birth control spell on me about several years ago because of my monthly."

"I see." He said and placed her closer to him. They looked into each others eyes for the longest time admiring the other. A knock on the door broke the love bond.

"Raven, it's me, Odzola. It's time to get up." Said a voice from the other side of the door. The couple shared the same thoughts; _shit, _they both thought. They quickly jumped out of the bed and retrieved their discarded clothes. In a panic, they hurried.

"Just hold on!" Raven yelled.

"You better hurry up." Odzola said. Odzola stood by the door waiting for Raven to open the door. While waiting, she heard faint sounds of loud movement and talking. Out of curiosity, she pressed her ear against the door and listened. As she predicted, the sound came from Raven's room.

"Raven?" She asked. "Are you okay?" Hearing the sounds again, she was fearful that something had gone wrong. She quickly opened the door to investigate. There was not much to investigate. There stood Raven fully dressed but her hair messed and Garfield with his pants on, but shirtless. Raven's cheeks turned a bright red from embarrassment. Odzola's eyes were wide, but she did something most people wouldn't react. She smiled and started laughing. The couple was confused.

"Never thought I would see the! My husband was right." She said.

"Right about what?" Garfield asked.

"That you liked Raven. Usually my husband isn't right." She said.

"So you're not mad or disappointed?" Raven asked.

"You must be joking. I'm neither of those. I'm just glad you got laid. Lately, you've been a tightass." Odzola said.

"Thanks." Raven said sarcastically.

"I never thought I'd see the day when one of my husband's predictions was right." She said. "Thank Azar that we didn't have a bet."

"I'm so glad you have faith in Claudius." Raven said.

"Well you know that the woman is always right." Odzola said and she looked at Garfield. "The woman is always right, remember that."

"I'll keep that in mind." He said as he put on his shirt.

"Anyway, there is a meeting in the common room that you must attend right now." Odzola said.

"Okay, I'll go now. Just let me pull my hair in a tie." Raven said. She walked over to her dresser and pick up a hair tie. The empath pulled her hair back. She looked decent enough for the monks. She returned to the doorway.

"So, can you keep this a secret?" Raven asked. "Even to your husband? I'll tell him later."

"Of course I will." Odzola said.

"I'll go to the meeting, can you escort Garfield to the kitchen to get some food?" She asked.

"As I will." Odzola replied.

"Hopefully it won't take long Garfield. I'll see you guys after the meeting." Raven said. Then she descended toward the common room.

This left Odzola and Garfield alone.

"So, where's the kitchen again?" Garfield asked.

"I'll show you only if you say five very important words." She said

"What are those words?" He asked.

"The woman is always right." She said.

"Do I really have to say that?" The changeling asked.

"You must, unless you don't want anything to eat." She said.

"Fine," he took a deep breath. "The woman is always right."

"There you go, and now, follow me to the kitchen." She said and turned to exit.

* * *

Garfield was half way done with his breakfast. He would have to give his compliments to the chef. The food here was great. Odzola sat across from him and watched him eat.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked.

She shook her head, " I have already eaten. I'll be fine." He ate further and soon finished his meal.

"I got to say that the food here is great." He said.

"Yes, yes it is." She replied.

Garfield picked up his glass to drink, but a burst of the doors knocked the glass to the ground. The glass shattered into pieces. Dominic and Claudius both stood at the door in a panic. They both were out of breath as they held onto the door. Odzola and Garfield were immediately concerned.

"What's wrong?" Odzola asked.

Trying to catch his breath, Dominic said, "The monks . . . Raven . . . they have been hurt."

Garfield stood up from his chair and shock. Odzola put her hands to her mouth to cover her open mouth.

"How?" She asked.

"Vladimir. He called the meeting. He talked about something in gibberish that concerned something that the queen had done. By calling her a 'traitor', 'tramp', 'whore' and 'half-breed', that caused a great argument over the monks and the queen. We could only stand by the door and do nothing. So we ran here." Claudius said.

"What happened to Raven?" Garfield demanded.

"Vladimir was in a fit of rage that he lost control of his sanity. He pulled a hidden knife from this cloak and pierced Raven with it. Before the monk's could attack, he placed a spell prison gate preventing them to reach her. Leon was able to escape the prison, but was attacked by Vlad." Dominic informed.

Garfield ran out of the room as fast as he was able to. The Azarathians immediately followed behind. He followed the path where he remembered the common room to be. The changeling soon had the smell on blood that filled his nose. _Please be okay Rae_ he thought as he followed the scent. The smell grew more thick and soon, he reached the common room. There, laying on the middle of the floor was Raven laying on her side. Her arm covering her stomach. A pool of blood appeared beneath her and it slowly began to grow. The blood seemed to be coming from a wound that her hand was covering. She was breathing deeply and her face was filled with fright and agony.

The monks were on the farther side of the room trying to figure a way out of the barrier. Leon was outside the barrier. He was sitting with his back against the wall heavily breathing. He had a head wound where some blood escaped. The blood seeped down the carpet and touched of what remained of the necklace Garfield had given her for Raven's 18th birthday. The pieces were soaked in Raven's blood, and the necklace was in pieces. The Azarathians entered the room and had a frightful sight before them.

The changeling ran to the bleeding empath.

"Raven!" he shouted. He tried to touch her but Odzola grabbed his hand out of the way. He was confused at this action.

"You must not touch her." She said.

"We have to help her though." He pleaded.

"We will." She said and turned her attention to Claudius and Dominic, "Get Arella in here, she's the only one that can heal Raven. Make sure other healers come." The two men immediately ran from the room to retrieve Arella. Garfield only looked at Raven as she had fear in her eyes. She could not speak.

"You'll be fine Raven." He assured, "I'm here for you." He lightly touched her shoulder, as she slowly bled.

"Why is she not talking?" He asked.

"It seems that Vladimir had placed a strong paralyzing spell on her." She examined. At that same time, Claudius, Dominic, the purple haired woman, and few other Azarathians entered the room. The new faces immediately examined Raven.

"You guys tend to the monks. Especially Leon. I have Raven covered." The purple haired woman demanded.

"Yes Madam Arella" the two Azarathians complied and they ran to tend to the monks.

Arella examined the spell that was placed on Raven. The woman placed her hand on Raven's forehead and chanted something quickly. Once she removed her hand, Raven was able to move. She gasped for air and coughed. Arella turned Raven on her back and removed the hand that was placed over the wound. After catching her breath, Raven whispered, "Mother?"

"Yes, my child, I am here." Arella said.

And finally, it clicked in. Garfield now knew why the name Arella was so familiar. That was Raven's mother. Months after the trip to Tokyo, Garfield shared his tragic story about his biological parents and they questioned Raven about her mother since they knew of her father. Garfield just remembered a story of how Arella came to be her mother, but never knew what had happened to her. Now he knew.

Arella had placed her hands over the wound and illuminated a bright blue light similar to Raven's healing. Raven lifted her hand and motioned for Garfield. He took her hand and held it closely. Behind him, the other Azarathians had successfully released the monks and healed Leon.

"That traitor! Vladimir has fled!" Leon shouted. "We must find him before he harms more souls!"

"But where would he go? He has the ability to transport dimensions." Muzo spoke.

"He will probably plan to go far, but where do we look?" Rafael asked.

"I know where he's going and what he will do." A faint voice said. The monks turned their attention to the bleeding queen.

"Before Vlad had attacked me, I read his mind." Raven said faintly.

"What did you hear?" Leon asked.

"H-he plans to flee Azarath and go to Lantha." She said.

"That is our neighboring ally. What are his reasons for venturing there?" Muzo asked.

"Let me finish." She said. "He plans to unleash chaos on Lantha. He plans to burn buildings and even kill. Vlad wants to destroy our ties with Lantha, and start a war with them."

"We cannot have a war in our condition. Especially, Lantha is our greatest ally." Rafael said.

"We must stop him from his destruction." Leon said.

"Let the guards and the other monks handle this situation Father Leon. You have just been healed and I recommend you get your rest." Odzola said.

"Dear Odzola, I'm fine, and I will help." He said.

Garfield looked at Raven as Arella attempted to cure her. Raven had a certain look in her eyes. She wanted for him to join Leon and the others to find Vlad. She did not want him to see her in such a terrible condition. Only Garfield could interpret that. He kissed her hand and gently laid it down. He stood up.

"I'm going too." Garfield announced.

"This is none of you concern Mr. Logan." Muzo said.

"Yes it is. He hurt Raven and I want to help to make sure nothing like this will happen again. I want to be there to assist in any way I can." He said.

Before anyone could speak, Leon said, "Fine you will come. But you must wear armor similar to what the guards wear."

"I accept." Garfield said.

"Okay, we must go now for time passes quickly" Leon said and the rest of the monks left. Leon stood behind to wait for the changeling. Garfield kissed Raven on the forehand.

"I'll be back I promise." He said. Raven nodded, but as he stood up, Raven shrieked. There was an internal bleeding that needed to be repaired. In hast, Arella took action.

"Medics! Hold her down!" she demanded. "I am going to preform internally healing session" She turned her attention toward her daughter.

"Listen my child, this will take little time, but will cause great paint for a brief amount of time." She said. Raven nodded. The other Azarathians held Raven down and Arella placed both hands on her daughter's stomach.

"We must go now, Mr. Logan" Leon said. Garfield complied and left the room. Upon leaving the room, he heard a bloodcurdling scream that escaped Raven's lips. That sound sent shivers down his spine. He vowed that Raven would never go through that kind of pain again.


	13. The Beast's Rage

Garfield looked at himself in the mirror. As Leon has given him, he was wearing the same armor the guards wore. He felt so many emotions go through his head. Hate, sorrow, anger, confusion, etc. Lost in his emotions, he did not realize the door behind him had opened. Claudius entered to room.

"Nice outfit," Claudius said, "It's time to go." The changeling nodded and exited the room with the Azarathian. They walked though the hallways in silence. The image of Raven bleeding in front of him was still printed in Garfield's mind. Once they reached the exit of the tower, they were greeted by a few guardsmen, including Dominic, and Father Leon. Claudius bowed to Father Leon.

"We have arrived and are prepared." He said.

"Great, now we must leave." Leon said, "Mr. Logan, are you sure you want to come? You do realize that you will only be able to do hand-to-hand combat without your abilities."

"I'll do by best. Anything for Raven." Garfield said.

"I understand. Now lets go." Leon said and they departed for Lantha. They walked through silent streets. Somehow the news had spread quickly about the queen's assault. The Azarathians started at the party that was going to find Vladimir. To Garfield's amazement, the people of Azarath went on their knees and bowed their heads.

Once the troop had reached the edge of Azarath, they began to levitate toward the east. Before Garfield could ask how he would get across, Leon placed a temporary levitating spell on him. _Why couldn't Raven put this spell on me_ he thought. During the flight, Leon explained their plan.

"Okay, we must be very cautious when we face Vladimir. He may have some dirty tricks up his sleeve and will do whatever it takes to get us out of the way. Use sorcery, weapons, and Mr. Logan, your strength. Garfield nodded. They continued to fly.

"Father Leon?" Garfield asked.

"Yes Mr. Logan." Leon replied.

"How long until we get to Lantha?" He asked.

"Soon. It should be coming up momentarily." Leon replied. Soon enough, they saw a city that looked similar. It was somewhat different in structure, but Azarath and Lantha were closely similar. They came closer to Lantha, and soon they saw smoke. A large blast appeared and an eruption continued afterwards. Fire began to rise from the city.

"Vladimir." Leon whispered.

Sure enough, as the group descended toward the ground, Vladimir was destroying Lantha. The people of Lantha wore the same cloaks similar to the Azarathians, but their cloaks were grey and black. Civilians were running away and guards were laying on the ground in a paralyzing spell. There was a sinister smile on Vladimir's face.

"Vladimir!" Leon yelled. Instinctively, Vladimir turned his attention. His sinister smile grew even more and he stopped his destruction.

"May I help you?" Vladimir said calmly. Garfield couldn't help, but growl under his breath. Muzo put a hand on Garfield's shoulder.

"Calm, Mr. Logan." He said, but Garfield could not calm.

"You know what I mean Vladimir. You took our trust, you injured our queen, and harmed the monks, including myself." Leon said.

"You mean that half-breed is not dead?" Vladimir asked astonished.

"You bastard!" Garfield yelled and charged toward Vladimir. However, he was stopped by Leon. Garfield had hatred in his eyes, while Leon's eyes were calm.

"Mr. Logan, you cannot charge in uninformed. Did you not see what he did to us and Dido Raven?" Leon said.

"Yes, I know. But I can't just stand here watching the man, who hurt Raven, stand in front of me smiling at me." Garfield said.

"I completely understand Mr. Logan, but leave the charging for us. I need you to attack when he is weak." Leon said, "Let us handle this."

With that he moved out of the way, and Garfield stood still. Leon stepped forward and the Azarathians guards followed.

"Vladimir, you have been accused of treason and assault. We must arrest you" Leon stated.

"Try me." Vladimir said and shot fire at the Azarathians. They were able to get out of the way and attack. Leon attempted spells, Claudius used sorcery, and the other guards used their swords. Garfield could only watch. Vladimir only smiled as he repealed each attack. As time passed on, the battle was going no where. Finally, Vladimir got impatient and bored. He was able to redirect each attack and throw it back to them. Leon passed a fire spell, and Vladimir did the same attack, but it was more powerful. The attack sent Leon to the building yards away. Vladimir smiled as he looked over the attack he took on his former allies. Claudius and the other guards were sprawled out on the ground weak from Vladimir's attack. Then, he turned his attention to Garfield.

"So, shape-shifter, why are you here? You realize I could easily defeat you, just like I defeated that half-breed whore." Vladimir said.

"Don't you dare call her that." Garfield snarled.

"It is true you know." Vladimir said, "I saw what happened last night. It opened my eyes to what I believe in. It made me take action."

"What is that?" Garfield said.

"That a demon should not hold position in Azarathian royalty. It should be killed." Vladimir explained.

"You should see who the real demon is." Garfield said and his blood began to boil.

"It's not I of course. I am for the right of Azarath. Not that half-demon. Once I defeat you, I will forget about destroying Lantha. Instead, I will finish off that half-breed." Vladimir smiled. Garfield growled louder under his breath.

"Did I strike a nerve shape-shifter?" Vladimir asked and walked closer, "Did I hurt your feelings? I hurt your demon lover and I plan on killing her. And there is nothing you can do about it."

Instantaneously, there was a new feeling in the atmosphere. Vladimir could feel a different aura from the changeling. However, he still walked toward him. When he was several feet away, there was a rip. Suddenly, a green beast appeared before Vladimir. The green beast bared its teeth and a demonic growl came from the mouth. The beast looked up to Vladimir and let out a howl. The howl sent shivers down Vladimir's body. He had never seen a beast of this form before.

The beast pounced on Vladimir and ripped a piece of his cloak off. Vladimir was shaken from the sudden pounce. He struggled to get off of the beast but was unable due to the extreme weight. He attempted to punch the beast, but his arm was stopped but the beast's mouth. The beast bit down and a scream came from Vladimir. Blood trickled down from Vladimir's arm. Vladimir was able to use a dispel charm and expel the beast on his body.

He quickly stood up and held his arm. The blood began to trickle down even more. The beast stood in front of the monk, bearing its teeth. Vladimir slowly held out his arm and began to chant in a foreign language. Before he could finish, the beast charged for him and scratched his chest. The blood began to show from his chest. The beast crouched and Vladimir stood up. Yet again, he lifted his arm and continued the chant. The beast ran toward the monk, but the monk disappeared into a portal. The beast caught the air and was confused. It looked around for a moment, and soon, it changed into its former self. There stood Garfield Logan.

He turned around the find the Azarathians recovered. Somehow, a team of medics arrived on the scene to heal the guards and monks. Leon was already healed and he walked toward Garfield.

"Do you know where he went?" Garfield asked.

"I have an idea, but we must consult the other monks back in Azarath." Leon said.

Garfield nodded and he faced one of the medics. "Is Dido Raven okay?"

The medic woman looked up to the changeling and said, "Yes, she is fine."

A sigh of relief came from Garfield's mouth._ She's okay._


	14. Recovered

The group arrived in the Azarathian tower an hour later. Garfield wanted to see Raven, but Leon pulled him into the meeting room to discuss their plans to find Vladimir. The monks, general guards, thanes, and Garfield sat in the circle table.

"Okay everyone. Vladimir has fled the dimension of Azar. I may have a theory to where he may be." Leon addressed.

"Do you think he has fled to get help from his only flesh and blood?" Rafael asked.

"Yes, I believe he has fled to the dimension of the half-demon to get aid from his nephew." Vladimir said.

"Wait, do you mean he left to the dimension where I come from?" Garfield asked.

"That is correct." Leon said.

"I cannot believe he would have fled to that exile Azarathian." Muzo said.

"Who's his nephew?" Garfield asked.

"His name is Chalet." Leon said. "I do believe he resides in the country, state, and the city you are from."

"I don't think I ever met him before." Garfield lied. He knew that he still kept the promise to Raven that he would never tell the monks about Chalet.

"That's fine." Leon said, "Now we must plan quickly to travel the dimension. Claudius, Dominic, Muzo, I, and Mr. Logan will depart."

"You forgot one person." A feminine voice said from the doorway. Everyone turned their attention to the voice. The woman was leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed. Garfield wanted to jump and scream in delight.

"Dido Raven, I did not know you healed that fast." Leon said.

"Yes. Well Arella does a wonderful job when healing." Raven said.

"And you know it." Arella appeared from the doorway.

"Dido, I do believe you should sit this out. You have just been healed. You are not fit to battle." Leon said.

"And look at yourself. You were healed twice today and you still want to go. I still have a lot of fire in me. Besides, you guys couldn't defeat him without me." Raven said.

"You just want revenge, Dido Raven." Claudius added.

"That too." She said and walked in the room.

"Arella, do you agree she is well enough?" Leon asked.

"I examined her and she is well enough." Arella replied. "And you know my daughter well enough Leon to know that she would go out there even if you said no."

"You are correct about that." Leon said and he turned toward Raven. "You may come with us."

Raven smiled and she sat down in a vacant chair across from Garfield. He smiled and she returned the favor. Leon explained to the Azarathians about the dimension and the plan. 30 minutes later, Leon was finished explaining the agenda.

"Does everyone understand?" Leon asked.

"Yes Father Leon" they said in unison.

"Good, now we must go. Everyone leave quickly to their rooms, retrieve your armor and return here as soon as possible." Leon commanded. Everyone left the room in hast. The only two left were Garfield and Raven. They stood by the closed door.

"Thank god you are all right. I was really worried about you." Garfield said and he kissed her.

"I'm fine Garfield. I was more worried about you." She said.

"Why were you worried about me? You were the one on the brink of death." He said.

"I would pull through, but Vlad would have killed you." She said, "I was very thankful when I heard that you were able to change into the beast and injure Vlad."

"How did you know that?" he asked.

"I talked to Leon in his mind, we can communicate to each other that way." She replied.

"No fair! Why can't I do that?" Garfield asked.

"Because you're not Azarathian, but you can come close." Raven said and she placed her forehead on his.

_I love you Garfield_ he heard a faint whisper in his head. He looked at Raven and gently held her chin.

"I love you too Raven." Then he kissed her. The kiss was brief and Raven withdrew.

"We'd better get going." She said.

"Yes. Yes we should." Garfield said and they left the room.

* * *

The silent morning was broken by the abrupt opening of the bookstore door. The owner of the store was in the back of store doing an early morning inventory check when he heard the sound. He looked over to the clock and it read 6am.

_That's odd. I just closed and locked that door at closing time. Great, now I have to deal with thieves _he thought. The shop owner walked casually to the front desk to see who had opened the door. When he reached the desk, he saw a familiar man standing by the door. The man was an older man who stood hunched and unusually holding his right arm. The shop owner had noticed that the older man had blood coming down from the arm he held. The shop owner was stunned.

"Uncle?" He asked, "Uncle Vladimir?"

The older man looked up, "Yes. It is I, Chalet."

"What the hell happened to you?" Chalet asked as he ran toward his uncle.

"The Azarathians." He said. Chalet held his uncle up and helped him into the back room. He sat his uncle on the chair closest to the table.

"They did what?" Clalet asked.

"I was proposing an idea to help the people of Azarath. But that witch of a queen disagreed with me. She said we should be more concerned with the monks' and queen's luxury annexation. I told her our idea is to help the people of Azarath, not ourselves. She was pulled into a fit. She even went to the length of using her demonic abilities to trick the other monks to turn their back on me. They attacked me. Luckily, I was able to escape quickly before they killed me." Vladimir explained. "I'm only safe for a while before they find my trail."

"I see." Chalet said, "What about the green man named Garfield?"

"Yes, he was there. He helped aid the half-demon in to attacking me. She used her demonic powers to lure him with lust. With that, she had him under control." Vladimir replied.

"Okay, well I will keep you safe here for a while. It may take me a while to heal your wounds. But stay here and rest. I have everything under control." Chalet said.

"Thank you Chalet. I greatly apologize for agreeing with your exile. I should have stopped it." Vladimir said.

"Whatever." Chalet said harshly and left the room.

_Damn old man. He was the one who accused me of practicing dark magic._


	15. Blood, Thicker than Water

Garfield had exited his room with his armor on and headed to the foyer. He was wearing the same armor the guards wore, except the armor was black instead of white. He did not know the significance, but he thought the black looked better compared to the white. Garfield thought they were somewhat snazzy. Once he entered the foyer, everyone was ready to leave. Everyone wore armor, including Leon and Raven. Leon wore the same armor Garfield was wearing, and surprisingly, Raven was too. The only difference: There was a hint of red on the armor. Yet again, he wondered if that meant any significance. He walked down the stairs and everyone looked at him.

"Glad that you can join us Mr. Logan." Leon greeted.

"Can I ask that you call me Garfield instead of Mr. Logan please." Garfield said.

"Surely, Garfield." Leon replied. "I see you have wore the proper armor."

"I'm surprised myself, but what's the difference between the white and black armor?" Garfield asked.

"Well they have a protective spell on each one that is a greater power." Raven explained.

"And we wanted to have it a different color." Muzo added.

"I see." Garfield said, "Why do you have red on your armor, Raven?"

"Because I can." She said. "Everyone wanted to keep it plain and simple since we don't use it often."

"Anyway, we must get going." Claudius said. "Do you know where we will be arriving?"

"Yes, we will be landing less than a mile from our destination. Garfield here, could lead the way since he is quite familiar with the surroundings." Leon said.

"I can?" Garfield asked. Leon put a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, and thank you for volunteering." Leon said. A smile rose on Raven's face. Dominic had begun to trace a large circle for the group to stand in before they entered the portal. Once it was complete, they stepped inside the circle. They stood in a circle and held hands. Leon began to chant and soon, the group disappeared into the portal. The portal still looked the same when Garfield had used to enter Azarath. Soon, the portal adventure was over and they landed in an alleyway.

"We are here." Leon addressed.

"I'd have never thought I would return back to this dimension." Raven said and she looked at Garfield.

"I recognize where we are. We should be a several blocks away from the bookstore." Garfield said, "Follow me."

They preceded to follow Garfield as he led the way. The streets were somewhat empty, since it was early in the morning. Minutes passed and the group soon reached the bookstore.

"We are here." Garfield said.

"Great. Now we must be cautious when we enter. We have to remember we have to deal with two former Azarathians. Especially one who knows dark magic. Be very cautious." Leon said. "And Garfield, can you change form?"

Garfield nodded and changed into a wolf. Raven petted the wolf, "Good boy."

"Claudius, Dominic and Muzo, you three take the back. Everyone else, we will enter in the front." Leon said. Dominic, Claudius, and Muzo quickly ran to the back of the building.

"Now, we go." Leon said. The Azarathian monk broke down the door with his foot and it sent the door flying into the bookstore. They quickly entered the bookstore and looked around. No one. They crept around the front of the bookstore, and did not fell a presence. The bookstore was dark, but an illuminated light came from a cracked door. Raven motioned for them to go toward the door. The three walked approached the door. They were a foot away from the door trying to hear if there was sound. Suddenly, the door blasted toward them and hit the group.

Leon had regained his stance, whereas, Raven and the changeling had fallen on the ground. Chalet appeared from the doorway with his arm extended with not emotion on his face.

"Chalet, we have come here to arrest Vladimir. We ask that you turn over your uncle immediately, or will not be charged with hiding a fugitive." Leon said.

"Or you will do what? I've already been exiled from my own people for a crime that I did not even commit." Chalet said.

"Listen Chalet. We do not wish to harm you. We have only come for Vladimir. He is a fugitive." Raven said.

"It has been a while, Ms. Roth, but I'm not sure if I believe he is a fugitive. I saw what you did to my uncle. I care barely heal him. You caused a lot on damage on him." Chalet said.

"The damage does not compare to what he did to the monks, the people of Lantha, and myself. If it weren't for Arella, I would be dead for sure." Raven explained. "Look. I have a recent scar from where he had stabbed me." She lifted her shirt from the side, only reveal only a small portion of her skin. There, sat a somewhat large scar from a stab.

"You could have gotten that from someone else." Chalet said.

"But, who is the only monk in Azarath to know how to use a dagger to hit strong vital points." Raven said. Chalet had a blank stare, then he spoke.

"But why did he stab you? Or did you hurt him?" he asked.

"Listen Chalet," Garfield spoke, "Vladimir attacked Raven because he had gone over the line with Raven being half-demon and all. He stabbed her, and put a paralyzing spell so she could slowly bleed to death. He assaulted the monks, including Leon and fled to Lantha. He destroyed many buildings. We had to stop him. We attacked him and injured him. But before we could take him, he left. Do you understand?"

"I'm not for certain." Chalet said and turned his head in the doorway into the room. "Uncle, do they tell the truth?"

There was no one in the room. "Uncle? Where are you?" Chalet asked. An ominous silence. This did not sound good.

Raven, Garfield, and Leon stood in a guarding stance to be prepared for an attack. Suddenly, a figure came behind Chalet and held a blade to his throat. Chalet stood still.

"Uncle?" he whispered. The figure behind him only smiled.

"Yes, nephew." The figure responded.

"Is what they said true?" Chalet asked. Vladimir smiled and laughed.

"No my nephew. They lie. I would never do such things." Vladimir said.

"Then why do you hold a blade to my neck?" Chalet asked.

"Why, I'm trying to help you." Vladimir. "How so you ask? If they take a step, I will cut your throat." Garfield's eyes went wide. He was taking Chalet hostage.

"What do you want Vlad?" Raven asked.

"Half-demon. I wish for you demise." Vladimir said.

"If you let him go, I will come with you." She said. Garfield was stunned, but Leon was silent.

"Raven! What do you think you're doing? He's going to kill you." Garfield said

"Silence, Garfield and let me do my duty." She snapped. He had never heard her snap like that in a long time. He was not use to it.

"Sounds good me." Vladimir said. "Walk over here." Raven walked toward Vlad and Garfield lunged for her, but he was stopped by Leon. Garfield looked up and he winked at him. This was a trick. Raven stood in front of Vlad and he threw his nephew on the ground.

"Now, how should I kill you? Quickly, or slowly?" he asked.

"How about neither." She said, "now guys!" Suddenly, Dominic, Claudius, and Muzo jumped toward Vladimir from behind. However, somehow, he was able to avoid all three. Before he could attack, a blast of dark energy blasted him through solid concrete and bricks. This sent him flying into the street. A giant hole appeared in the building.

Raven walked through the wall and to Vladimir who seemed unconscious. She stood over Vladimir and wondered if he was dead. Suddenly, Vlad's arm grabbed Raven's throat and began to suffocate her. She was caught off guard and was slowly losing her breath. Soon, a green wolf bit on Vlad's arm and his arm withdrew from the empath's neck. Raven caught her breath quickly, and Leon put a hold spell on Vladimir. The spell was strong enough that he could do nothing but breath. The wolf stood watching as Leon finish the spell. Raven looked at the wolf, and he did the same thing. The wolf ran toward Raven, and turned into a puppy. He jumped in her arms and licked her face.

"Thanks Garfield" she said. The puppy stopped licking and jumped off of her. The puppy turned into green man. He smiled at Raven.

"There is no need to thank me. I wasn't able to save you last time. I swore to myself that I would not let anything harm you." Garfield said looking into her eyes. Raven smiled and they shared a kiss. The kiss was brief due to the interruption.

"You damn half-breed whore! You should not live. Demons are evil creatures and half-demons have no place anywhere. You pretend to be human, but you truly are evil." Vladimir shouted. Garfield wanted to speak, but Raven placed her index finger on his mouth. She walked toward Vladimir.

"You haven't seen my demon side." She whispered. "Do you want to see?" Suddenly, her face changed into a haunting demonic appearance. Vladimir screamed in terror. As quickly as it came, she returned to her former self.

"Now you have." Raven whispered. If he were able to move, he would have been trembling and shaking. Garfield was very impressed. She was able to tune into her demon side and use it for good. And scare enemies.

"Garfield?" a distant voice said. He turned around in response to his name. He was in trouble. There were four familiar faces staring at him. There stood Nightiwing, Kori, Vic, and Caylo.

Hesitantly, Garfield greeted, "Um, hi Titans. How's it goin?"

"How's it goin? How's it goin?" Vic shouted. "That's all you can say? You left all of a sudden without telling us? And you were here the whole time?"

"Relax Vic. He has been with me the whole time." A feminine voice spoke. Nightwing, Kori, and Vic were stunned. Raven was there.

"Raven!!" Kori yelled and flew over to hug Raven. She squeezed her with immense force. Raven could barely breathe, but Kori let go of her friend.

"I can see that your hugs have not changed." Raven said.

"You have changed so much friend. You look much older. And may I say, your breasts have grown as well." Kori said.

"Yeah, thanks for addressing that aloud. I appreciate it very much." Raven said sarcastically.

"You're welcome." Kori said.

"Raven!" Cyborg said and he picked up Raven from the ground in a hug.

"Yet again, Vic, be gentle. Kori's hugs are immense." Raven said.

"I don't care!" Cyborg said and he placed her on the grounded.

Nightwing was about to give her hug, but she punched him in the face.

"Ouch! What was that for?" he asked.

"You broke a promise." Raven said.

"Um what promise?" he asked. Raven leaned her head to the side and raised one eyebrow. Then it clicked.

"Oh yeah. I promised you to not go obsessive over a villain. Sorry" he said.

"I'm still going to give you a hug." She said and gave him a hug.

Standing in the distance was Caylo. "You must be Caylo." Raven said. He nodded and she motioned for him to come closer. When he was in front of Raven, she held out her hand. He took her hand and shook it.

"I'm glad to have met you. I have heard about you from Garfield" Raven said.

"Yes and you do realize, I was the one who replaced you, or did replace you." Caylo said.

"Speak in the present please. You are the one who replaced me." Raven said.

"Wait, so do you mean, you won't stay?" Garfield asked.

"I cannot Garfield. I will need to return to Azarath. I must deal with Vladimir and even a possible war. I am needed there." Raven said.

"But, can you stay for a while?" Vic asked. Raven looked over to Leon who was standing a few feet behind Raven.

"Dido Raven, you can stay for one day. I wish I could give you more time, but you have much to deal with." Leon said.

"So, you will come back to get me in 24 hours?" Raven asked. Leon nodded his head.

"Okay, then I will be ready by then." Raven said.

"We will see you tomorrow." He said and turned toward the Azarathians, "Come, we must leave and incarcerate Vladimir. You may come as well, Chalet. I believe you deserve to return to Azarath." Chalet smiled and joined the Azarathians.

"Yes sir." The Azarathians said in unison. Soon, Claudius opened a portal. He turned toward Dominic. Claudius wanted to laugh. Dominic's hair burnt by one of Vladimir's attacks.

"Don't say a word." Dominic demanded.

"About what Dominic?" Claudius said sarcastically. Dominic gave him a dirty look and they left for Azarath.

This left standing six Titans. "So, who's up for pizza?" Raven asked. No one would turn that down.


	16. Lover's Embrace

The moon shined down on the tower. Although the city was lit up, you could still see the faint hint of the stars. The water from the ocean showed a reflection of the moon. It was a very peaceful night. Whether you were inside or outside, you could feel at peace.

Raven had her head laying on Garfield's bare chest. Her head was resting over his heart. She pressed her ear gently as she fell into the pattern on his heart beat. Raven was gently drawing lines and swirls on his chest. While she lay on top of him, he slowly massaged her bare back. Every time he would breathe, he would take her scent. Oh how he had missed her scent. For years he would lay on her bed just to take in her scent. And now, here they were. They were both together in Raven's old room. He held her close to him, and she welcomed the comfort. They had been laying like that for quite some time. They were just relieved and taking in the other's essence.

"Hey, Rae." Garfield whispered.

"Yes." She responded.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Um. Will you promise that if you hear this that you won't think differently of me in a negative way."

"I hope I can promise you, but I need to know what it is."

"Ok. To tell you the truth, I didn't just accidently come upon that piece of paper in your room."

Raven raised her head and looked into his eyes. "Go on" she said.

"When you left, I became a different person. I wasn't the kind of jokester I was. I would often isolate myself from the other Titans. I just wasn't myself."

"Garfield, I already know how much you have changed. I talked to Vic earlier today. Anyway go on." She said

"Whenever I would have my fits or whenever I was reminded of you, I would come in here and calm myself down. Sometimes, I would even stay the whole night. I just felt at peace when I was in here. And now, with you here now, I'm in complete tranquility."

She smiled and extended her neck to give him a kiss.

"Thanks for your complete honesty. It's quite sweet Garfield." Then she gave him another kiss.

"Going on, I have one question. I would come here every night and I would lay on your bed. But several days ago, I just found the piece of paper. It just appeared. How did it get there?" he asked. Raven's face was serious.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I made sure that I did not leave anything behind. I am sure that it was several weeks before I wrote that but it just appeared?" She asked and Garfield nodded.

"That's odd. But I may have an idea or person." She said.

"Who?" he asked.

"I'm thinking it may have something to do with Chalet."

"Why him?"

"He's just tricky like that. That's the only thing I can think of."

"But why would he do that."

"I would often go over there to read and talk. He's the only one from my dimension. I think somehow he remembered how much I liked you then and he might have put some sort of spell on it."

"Wait. You liked me back then?" He asked.

"Of course. I've liked you for a while when we were 18 and it still carried on when I was in Azarath. I would have to say, that I missed Earth, the Titans, and mainly you. I'm just glad I got to see you after all this time."

"Same here." He replied and kissed her forehead. She put her head back onto his chest and listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat. She closed her eyes only paying attention of the continuing heartbeat.

"Hay Rae?" he asked. Silence. He looked down to see that she had fallen asleep. Garfield gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight Rae. I love you." Then he drifted into sleep.

* * *

The peaceful night soon turned into a calm morning. Raven and Garfield had already awoken and was ready. They traveled down to the common room and were welcomed by the other Titans. It was strange to the Titans that Raven and Garfield were a couple. The immature jokester and the calm serious woman. It was strange, but somehow, they knew it was right.

Yesterday, Raven had the chance to be reacquainted with the other Titans. She had her girl talk with Kori, she sparred with Nightwing and even gave him advice to keep his relationship with Kori. He seemed to take it in, but it was only suggestion. Even though Raven and Garfield were a couple, Cyborg and Raven would make sarcastic, and funny comments to their green friend. In addition, she helped him with some advice to get a girl to notice him. Although he spoke in third people, she knew it was about him. Raven even spent some time getting to know Caylo. They would talk about the team and their personalities. She even helped him train a bit, so he wouldn't drag the team down.

The Titans talked for some time. They reminisced about the past. They remembered their good moments, and their bad moments. The moments they shared, and the moments they faced alone. Raven missed talking to the people she was very close to. They were her family. They did not care if she was a half-demon or even the queen of Azarath. They treated her like a friend. But, the remembrance of the past was shattered when a portal opened in the common room.

Everyone in the room's smile was turned into a frown. Leon, Claudius, and Dominic exited from the portal.

"It is great to see you Raven. I hope you had a good time here, but we must get going. I apologize that you could not have stayed longer." Leon said. Raven stood up.

"It's fine."She turned toward her friends who were standing as well. Suddenly they all came to give her a hug. Usually Raven was not the one for group hugs, but this was an exception. Moments passed as the Titans held onto their dark friend. Soon, they all withdrew from their hug. Raven looked back at them without a single tear in her eye.

"I will commit myself to visit more often instead of every three years. If everything goes well in Azarath, I could come once a month. So right now, I'm not going to say goodbye. I will just see you all later." She said and was taken over by another group hug. Garfield isolated himself from the hug. When they let go, Raven looked at Garfield. He had a faint smile on his lips, but inside, we wished she wasn't leaving again. She walked toward him and quickly locked lips with his in a heated passionate kiss. The kiss lasted for moments, until the awkward silence filled the air. They with drew from the kiss, and Raven turned her attention toward the Azarathians.

"Did you bring it?" she asked. Leon nodded and held out a decorated jar. He threw the jar to Raven and she caught it. She examined it for a while and faced Garfield.

"This jar contains the same ingredients for the portal potion. But listen carefully Garfield. Only use this for emergency purposes. No coming every weekend. There is only enough for one trip. I will return every month Garfield. So don't get antsie. Only for emergency purposes. Do you understand me?" She explained.

"I completely understand Rae." He said with a bit of annoyance.

"Garfield Logan, do you understand me?" She sternly said.

"Yes love." He said in a serious tone. She smiled and handed the jar to him. While Garfield took the jar, he heard the sound of a whipping sound from Vic and Richard in the back.

_I promise_ he thought. Raven smiled, gave him one last kiss, and walked toward the portal.

"I see you have shaven your hair Dominic. It looks much better than it did before." She said.

"That's great. How about we give you the same hair cut the same way. Hear I'll go get the fire!" Dominic sarcastically said. The Azarathians laughed and they began to depart. Dominic was the first to enter the portal, then Raven. Before Raven exited the present dimension, she turned to her friends, gave them a hand-to-wrist wave, and left. Claudius followed afterwards, and lastly Leon.

Leon looked toward Garfield. They met eye-to-eye. Leon gave him a wink and entered the portal. Soon, the portal was gone. So, was Raven. The other Titans left the common room to express their feelings alone about their departed friend. Garfield stood in place with the jar in his hand. On the top of the jar, was the procedure. But, unknown by most, he opened the jar to reveal another piece of paper. He grabbed the paper and placed it securely in his pocket.


	17. Epilogue

Raven sat in the study room with a stack of papers in front of her. She sighed as she wrote on several papers. The empath had been doing this for several hours, and had grown tired of the task. She had finished one sheet of paper and placed it in the pile of the finished paperwork. She looked over to the pile, and then to the unfinished stack. Raven realized that after the countless hours of paperwork, she was less than halfway done. She dropped her head onto the table and groaned in frustration.

It had been two months after her return to Azarath and everything was under turn. Lantha was on the brink of war, but somehow Raven and the other monks convinced them to reconsider. The leaders of Lantha, however, wanted Azarath to pay for the repairs. The monks agreed and were able to withdraw from the Azarathian monk savings. But, there was tension between Azarath and Lantha. Raven hoped that soon, the tension would disappear. Some good things have happened. Including, that Chalet had taken the position of his uncle as monk of Azarath. In addition, Vladimir was in a high security prison, where there was no chance of his escape.

Raven picked up her head and continued with the paperwork. She had not been able to sleep much lately due to the stress and more. However, all her thoughts concerned Garfield. Mainly, that was all she thought about. Many times, she would daze of into space, lost in her thoughts. The empath deeply wanted to return to her former dimension, but she was very occupied.

As she continued with the paperwork, she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." She said without looking up from her paperwork. Leon and Claudius entered the study room and stood by the door.

"Greetings to you Dido," Claudius spoke, "May we have a moment of your time please?"

Raven did not lookup and continued with writing. "Sure."

"Okay. We have some wonderful news for you!" Claudius exclaimed.

"For the love of Azar, please no more paperwork." Raven said.

"Fortunate for you, we will need you to follow us and you can postpone your paperwork for later." Leon said. Raven placed her pen down and deeply exhaled.

"What is this about?" She asked.

"In due time. We will explain on the way there." Claudius said.

"Wait, I thought you were only going to tell me something." Raven said.

"Yes, we will tell you as we get there. All will make sense shortly." Leon said and he lifted his hand, to welcome her to the door. Raven stood up from her desk, and walked toward the door.

"This had better be good." Raven spoke.

Leon and Claudius nodded. "I assure you." Leon said. The three exited the room and walked in the hallway.

"Okay, spill it." Raven said.

"All right. We have now knighted another thane for the Azarathian general co." Leon said. Raven knew quite well of the AGC. The Azarathian Gen. Co., was a highly elite group of selected generals that serve in Azarath. They protect Azarath, the people, and monks. The generals were highly respected among the Azarath people. There were very few and were only selected by the monks. The title 'Thane' in the AGC, was a rare chance someone could reach. There are only two other Thanes; Vatani and Basko. The thanes lived in the monastery and would often attend meetings with the monks.

"Okay, so you have chosen another thane." Raven said.

"Correct. He has been named Thane of Nightscence, and is quite a fighter. I believe he will be great to Azarath." Leon said.

"Well, why couldn't you just bring him to see me?" Raven asked.

"We wanted to meet him more personally." Leon said.

"Personally, how?" Raven asked.

"The monks and I have realized that you are at the age of twenty-one as of today. Most women your age are married and already have children." Leon said.

"Are you calling me old?" Raven asked.

"Not by that, but when Azar was queen, she did not have a spouse or children. That is how we chose you. So, we think it would be safer in the future if you had the things she did not have." Leon explained.

"So, your telling me, since today is my birthday and I'm turning twenty-one, that my biological clock is ticking? And you are finding suitors for me?" She asked.

"We are not forcing you, but it is only a suggestion." Claudius said.

"I mean no disrespect Leon and Claudius," she stopped in the hallway and the men stopped as well. "But, honestly, I don't want a suitor at the moment. You already know that Garfield is in my life."

"Yes, we understand that Raven." Leon said. "But do you realize that he is a dimension away? Most people cannot handle long-distance relationships."

"I will be nice to the Thane, but do not expect me to throw myself upon him." Raven said and she continued to walk. _Grin and bare it Raven, grin and bare it_ she thought.

Leon led the way to one of the meeting rooms. The Azarathians entered the room. Raven noticed the man in the room standing with his hands behind his back. This was a very common thane stance. The man was wearing a white formal cloak with a thane signature on the seams. The thane's hood was up, so his face was hidden by the shadow of his hood.

Claudius and Leon walked toward the thane and shook his hand. The man's face was still hidden by his hood. Raven was truly curious of the thane.

"Thane of Nightscence, this is our lovely queen of Azarath, Raven." Leon addressed. Raven walked closer and respectfully, held out her hand her him to shake it. However, the thane took her hand and put her palm down. He leaned down and kissed the top of her hand. Raven was disgusted by the thane's sudden actions, but kept her composer. She was truly curious of the man, and closed her surroundings to read his mind. She concentrated, but she could not read his mind. Raven assumed Leon had placed an anti-mind reading barrier around the thane. She withdrew her hand and made a fake smile.

"It is a pleasure to meet the Thane of Nightscence." Raven addressed. "I welcome you to Azarath."

"Thank you Dido Raven." The thane bowed in respect.

"I hope you enjoy your new position as thane." Raven said. "Is there anything that I can help you with?"

"Actually yes. I heard that it was your birthday today." The thane said, "So, I just wanted to be the first to wish you a happy birthday." The thane held out a black box.

The empath reached for the box and held it in her hands. Before she looked into the box, Raven looked at Claudius and Leon, who reassured her to open the gift. She turned her attention to the mysterious thane whose identity was still hidden.

"Thank you." Raven said. The thane nodded.

She held the box in her hands and opened the box. When the box was fully open, a necklace appeared. The necklace had an expensive silver chain, with a raven as a pendant. The raven had its wings spread out and its head faced upwards. The raven had an amethyst jewel in its claws. In addition, the amethyst jewel had several cut diamonds on the side. They followed the circular path of the jewel, and descended from large, to small. The diamond followed only halfway around the jewel. _This looks oddly familiar_ she thought _it's almost like the one. . . . He gave me._ Then it clicked. She lifted her head from the necklace and looked at the smiling thane.

Raven gently placed the black box on the table to her left and stepped closer to the thane. The thane stood still. The thane was taller than her and she looked up. Their faces were inches apart and she could feel his breath on her face. The queen cautiously lifted her hands and her fingers gripped his hood. She removed his hood slowly and it revealed his identity.

"Garfield" she whispered.

The man smiled. She was correct. The thane had green skin, jade eyes, forest green hair, and pointed ears.

"You are correct, my dear Raven." Garfield said "And Happy 21st birthday mate."

Raven's smile gleamed and she embraced him in a hug. Garfield hugged her back and held her close. With her arms still wrapped around him, she looked up into his eyes. He looked down at her and placed his lips on hers. She welcomed the kiss. It had been months since they had felt each other's touch and kiss. They both had deeply missed these interactions with their lover.

Moments passed and they withdrew. Raven still looked deep into his eyes, and Garfield peered into Raven's eyes.

"I know when Vlad attacked you, he destroyed the one I had gotten it for you for your 18th birthday. So, here I got this one for you." Garfield said.

"I wouldn't have wanted anything for my birthday. You didn't have to give me anything." Raven spoke.

"Don't question why I got you that gift. Anyway, you have one more gift that I will give to you." Garfield said.

"Well, if you insist." Raven said.

"Oh no, you will find out soon enough."

"What's with all this secrecy and waiting?"

"We just have too much fun."

"By the way, I should slap you. I told you to use that jar only for emergencies only."

"I didn't use the jar."

"Then how did you get here?"

A faint cough came from Leon. "I brought him here."

"What?" Raven asked.

"Garfield and I talked several days ago, and we planned for him to come." Leon said.

"Then how is he supposed to return home? Don't expect me to bring him back! I probabaly won't allow it." She asked.

" Well you're in luck. I'm not returning home." Garfield said. Raven was shocked. "That's right Raven. I'm staying here in Azarath. That's your other gift. You get this stud muffin."

"B-but how?" Raven asked.

"As we told you earlier Raven," Claudius said. "We have a new Thane of Nightscence. It turns out that Garfield is our Thane of Nightscence."

"Really?" Raven asked. "But, Garfield, you can't change forms in Azarath."

"Actually, when I turned into the beast, my powers were no longer suppressed and now I can change into animals." Garfield explained. He quickly turned into a crow and returned to his normal form.

"Amazing." Raven spoke, "But what about the Titans?"

"I asked them about it and they were fine with it. They figured that if I was here, I would more likely be able to convince you to make more visits back to Titans Tower." Garfield said.

"So they were fine with it?" She asked and he nodded.

"And you are going to stay here as a thane of Azarath?" She asked.

"Yes Raven" he said.

"And with me?" She seriously asked.

"Of course. Always, and forever." Garfield answered.


End file.
